Traffic Justice
Streetsblog Basics
Why Must a Driver Be Drunk or Fleeing Cops to Be Prosecuted for Killing?
On Tuesday, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance announced the sentencing of Dyson Williams, the driver who killed Mary Celine Graham while attempting to evade police.
June 28, 2012
In San Francisco, Victims of Traffic Violence Don’t Have Equal Protection
Editor's note: As the prosecution of cyclist Chris Bucchere, accused of manslaughter for fatally striking pedestrian Sutchi Hui, has drawn national attention, we thought this story would be of interest to our New York readers.
June 20, 2012
Contrary to Ray Kelly, NYPD Doesn’t Investigate Serious Traffic Injuries
One day after Jacob Stevens filed suit against the NYPD for failing to properly investigate the crash that killed his wife, Clara Heyworth, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told reporters that the department's Accident Investigation Squad handles all crashes that result in serious injury. The claim does not withstand the slightest scrutiny.
June 13, 2012
Lawsuit: AIS Rebuffed Calls From Officers at Scene of Fatal Heyworth Crash
The lawsuit filed today by Jacob Stevens renders in detail how NYPD destroyed the case against the driver who killed his wife, Clara Heyworth, by failing to investigate the crash. It's as enraging as it is heartbreaking, all the more so considering the number of times this scenario may have played out in other fatality cases.
June 11, 2012
Husband Sues NYPD for Botched Investigation Into Death of Clara Heyworth
The husband of Clara Heyworth, the woman killed by a suspected drunk driver in Fort Greene last summer, filed a lawsuit today against NYPD and called on Mayor Michael Bloomberg to take responsibility for the department's failure to investigate traffic crashes.
June 11, 2012
Monday: Rally for Victims of Traffic Violence Failed by Ray Kelly’s NYPD
A Transportation Alternatives event on Monday will again call attention to NYPD's shoddy crash investigation protocols.
June 6, 2012
William Boney Killed in Brooklyn, Driver Charged With Manslaughter
The motorist accused of fatally striking a Brooklyn pedestrian while driving drunk this weekend will be charged with manslaughter, Streetsblog has learned.
June 4, 2012
Judge Clears Unlicensed Driver Who Left Doored Cyclist to Die in the Street
An unlicensed driver who fatally doored a Brooklyn cyclist and left the scene has had the sole criminal charge against her thrown out of court.
May 30, 2012
Three Strikes Bill Would Terminate Licenses of Serial Dangerous Drivers
One of the more pernicious shortcomings of New York State's slapdash traffic justice system is its failure to keep dangerous drivers off the road. As long as repeat offenders pay their fines and don't get caught driving drunk, they can for the most part count on holding on to a drivers license, no matter how many tickets they receive, even if they cause a fatality.
May 30, 2012
State Senate Passes Bill Eliminating Incentive to Leave Scene of Crashes
If you get drunk, get behind the wheel of a car and get into a crash in New York State, you should flee the scene. Not morally, of course, but legally the repercussions will be less severe. A drunk driver who stays at the scene of a crash can be charged with a felony; sober up and take the hit-and-run charge and the worst you'll face is a misdemeanor.
May 24, 2012