Traffic Justice
Streetsblog Basics
No Charges From Cy Vance for Killing of Yolanda Casal
The man who killed an Upper West Side pedestrian and injured a second while backing up in pursuit of a parking spot made his first court appearance last Friday on a charge of driving without a license.On June 30, Yolanda Casal, 78, and her 41-year-old daughter Anais Emmanuel were crossing Amsterdam Avenue near West 98th Street when Edwin Carrasco, 38, of Paterson, New Jersey, drove his Ford Explorer into them. Casal was later pronounced dead at St. Luke's Hospital; Emmanuel was hospitalized with injuries.
July 7, 2011
Will Vance Prosecute Driver Who Killed Yolanda Casal for Deadly Negligence?
A woman is dead her daughter injured after they were struck by an unlicensed driver on the Upper West Side on Thursday.
July 1, 2011
What We Don’t Know About the Crash That Killed Aileen Chen
Here are a dozen questions pertaining to the crash that took the life of 16-year-old Stuyvesant H.S. student Aileen Chen as she rode her bicycle last Saturday a block from her home in Borough Park at around 6 p.m.
June 9, 2011
Staten Island Double Hit-and-Run Killer to Serve No More Than Five Years
The unlicensed, speeding, hit-and-run driver who killed an elderly Staten Island couple in 2009 has been sentenced to a maximum of five years in jail.
June 2, 2011
Unlicensed Drivers of Private Cars a Far Bigger Threat Than Tour Bus Drivers
Last week's tragic bus crash in the Bronx, which left 15 dead, has captured the attention of New York's media and political elite. Since the crash took place nine days ago, the New York Times has published no fewer than seven articles updating its readers on every detail and development.
March 21, 2011
DA Vance Explains Decisions to File Charges, or Not, in Traffic Crime Cases
This report is filed by Streetsblog reader Steve Vaccaro.
February 4, 2011
Is It Right to Forgive the Deadly Driver?
Nine years ago next week my wife was hit by a cab driver. She was crossing at an intersection at the edge of downtown Athens, Georgia, on her way to meet me for some grocery shopping and, per usual for a Friday, an evening at our favorite watering hole. I was wrapping up editing duties for the following week's edition of the paper where I worked when I got the call.
January 28, 2011
Vance Pursues Manslaughter Case Against Upper West Side Pedestrian Killer
A motorist who ran down a retired nurse to allegedly avoid stopping for a red light on the Upper West Side has been indicted for manslaughter.
January 26, 2011
Assembly Member Kellner Calls on Vance, Kelly to Enforce Street Safety Laws
On Tuesday, 21-year-old Jason King was killed by a truck driver while walking across Madison Avenue in the crosswalk. According to police, the driver overshot his destination, decided to back up, and ran over King in reverse, dragging him 30 feet before coming to a stop. NYPD decided not to charge the driver with anything more serious than a traffic summons.
December 9, 2010
Police, Prosecutors Continue to Let Curb-Jumping Motorists Off the Hook
Twice in the last two days, motorists have injured people after driving off New York City streets, over sidewalks, and into private property. Despite a new law on the books designed to hold motorists more accountable for reckless driving, police have not issued so much as a traffic summons to either driver.
November 15, 2010