Traffic Justice
Streetsblog Basics
No More Excuses: Albany Bill Tells NYPD How to Enforce Careless Driving
At the February City Council hearing on NYPD traffic enforcement, council members and the public learned that a driver who injures a pedestrian or cyclist in New York City is not normally cited under the state vulnerable user laws unless an officer witnesses the violation. NYPD officials said department protocol prohibits precinct officers from issuing tickets under VTL 1146, the state statute that includes Hayley and Diego’s Law as well as Elle’s Law, because the citations are prone to being dismissed in court.
May 24, 2012
Man Who Killed Sister Mary Celine Graham in NYPD Chase Pleads to Murder
A man who plowed into a crowd of Harlem pedestrians while fleeing police, killing a nun, has pleaded guilty to murder.
May 8, 2012
If Cars Were Cranes …
Below is a statement from Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, issued last week after James Lomma was cleared of manslaughter for the deaths of two workers in a 2008 crane collapse:
May 2, 2012
Mike Rogalle Killed by Curb-Jumping Driver in Manhattan, No Charges Filed
Mike Rogalle, the UPS worker struck while on the job in Lower Manhattan last week, has died.
April 26, 2012
Charles Hynes Levies Manslaughter Charge for Killing of Margaret Myers
Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes has issued a charge of manslaughter for the death of pedestrian Margaret Myers.
April 24, 2012
Court Document Details Aftermath of Crash That Killed Victor Felix
The driver who allegedly struck and killed pedestrian Victor Felix had a blood alcohol content over the legal limit for driving and showed signs of intoxication three hours after the crash, according to a court document.
April 20, 2012
Driver Convicted in Killing of Francesca Maytin Is Behind the Wheel Again
A driver convicted of homicide is back on the road after serving one year for killing a Manhattan pedestrian.
April 18, 2012
Cy Vance’s Office on Alleged DWI Pedestrian Death: No Comment
As we reported yesterday, we put in a message with the office of Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance regarding the death of Victor Felix, the 57-year-old pedestrian struck in Harlem Sunday night by alleged drunk driver Garry Kinlock.
April 17, 2012
No Drivers Charged for Deaths and Injuries in Weekend of Carnage [Updated]
When it comes to deadly recklessness, drivers don't need the New York Times to tell them to "Go for it," as Charles McGrath did in last week's paean to the urban supercar. After a stunningly violent weekend on city streets, the indulgent motoring fantasies of McGrath and his target audience appear all the more vacuous.
April 16, 2012
Is Manhattan DA Cy Vance Delivering on Traffic Justice?
The 2009 race for Manhattan district attorney presented a rare opportunity for proponents of safer streets. After decades of indifference toward victims of vehicular violence from Robert Morgenthau, advocates succeeded in making traffic justice a prominent campaign issue for his would-be successors. Contenders for the office pledged to take definitive action to reduce the carnage on Manhattan streets and punish drivers whose recklessness has in recent years resulted in a death toll on par with that exacted by gun-wielding murderers.
April 9, 2012