Cy Vance
Streetsblog Basics
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
Will Vance Victory Translate to Tougher Stance on Traffic Crime?
The office of Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance scored a significant victory last week, earning a homicide conviction in the case of a driver who killed a pedestrian in East Harlem nine years ago. But the circumstances of the crash, and their striking similarity to a 2011 fatality that resulted in a slap-on-the-wrist plea bargain, raise questions about how city prosecutors handle most pedestrian deaths.
January 19, 2012
Unlicensed Driver Who Backed Over and Killed Yolanda Casal Fined $500
For at least the second time this year, an unlicensed driver will be punished with no more than a token fine for killing a Manhattan pedestrian.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 while backing up in pursuit of a parking spot. Casal was later pronounced dead at St. Luke’s Hospital; Emmanuel was hospitalized with injuries.
November 11, 2011
New York’s Highest Court “Systematically Decriminalizing” Vehicular Killings
The manslaughter plea of David McKie, sentenced earlier this month for running down Manhattan pedestrian Karen Schmeer as he fled police following a petty theft, points to a trend in vehicular crimes law that is resulting in lighter sentences for drivers who kill.
September 22, 2011
Unlicensed Driver Pays the Price for Killing Laurence Renard: $500
The unlicensed dump truck driver who struck and killed an Upper East Side woman last winter will walk away with a $500 fine.
July 13, 2011
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
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
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