Traffic Justice
Streetsblog Basics
Dump Truck Driver Pleads to Misdemeanor for Killing Woman Outside Javits Center
Carlos Torres hit Elise Lachowyn as he turned from W. 37th Street onto 11th Avenue. The truck was registered in New Jersey, making it exempt from New York’s crossover mirror requirement.
September 14, 2017
NYPD Rejects Request for Fatal Crash Report as “Unwarranted Invasion” of Driver’s Privacy
The mayor's Vision Zero initiative hasn't changed NYPD's practice of keeping crash reports under lock and key, away from public scrutiny.
September 6, 2017
Speeding, Unlicensed Driver Who Killed Two Men in Brooklyn Pleads to Leaving the Scene
Efrin Lanfranco-Perez was not charged for killing Delmer Maldonado and Israel Turcios in a 2016 Cypress Hills crash. He could get probation under the terms of a plea deal with Acting-DA Eric Gonzalez, due in part to state law that incentivizes leaving the scene.
September 5, 2017
MTA Bus Driver Who Killed Woman in Manhattan Has License Revoked, Is Fined $750
Roger Weckworth hit Bella Krementsova with a QM7 bus in the Financial District in 2016. This week he pled guilty to violating her right of way.
August 18, 2017
Bypassing the Courts, NYPD Clears Hit-and-Run Trash Hauler Who Killed Neftaly Ramirez
NYPD said the Action Carting driver "didn't realize" he ran over a man on a bicycle -- the same excuse police gave the media hours after the crash.
August 14, 2017
SI Motorist Who Killed Senior Mary Cerqua Pleads to Violating Victim’s Right of Way
Deborah Pecoraro hit Cerqua, 73, in a crosswalk, then reportedly told police the victim caused the crash. She was charged after investigators reviewed video evidence.
June 29, 2017
Retired NYPD Officer Pleads to Homicide in Killing of Bronx Pedestrian Marino Nunez
Jorge Hernaiz, who worked at the 43rd Precinct, had a BAC of .25 when he fatally struck Nunez on Broadway in Riverdale, then tried to remove the victim from underneath his car.
June 28, 2017
On Transit and Street Safety, Albany Laid a Goose Egg in 2017
Back in February we asked safe streets and transit advocates what they wanted to see state legislators get done in 2017. The session has now come and gone, and lawmakers have delivered on none of those initiatives. Here's our recap of Albany's 2017 so far. Read it and weep.
June 26, 2017
Driver Who Challenged Right of Way Law Pleads Guilty, Is Fined $50 for Killing Queens Senior
Ana Urena hit Jao Lin Zhu, 80, in a crosswalk. She ultimately pled guilty to violating Zhu's right of way, but there is no indication that her license was suspended or revoked.
June 21, 2017
After Death of Ryo Oyamada, NYPD Shows No Interest in Preventing Serious Police Crashes
Ryo Oyamada was one of several bystanders killed in recent years in crashes involving NYPD drivers. Preventing further loss of life is apparently not a priority for NYPD or City Hall.
June 2, 2017
