Pedestrian Accidents

Published on: February 20, 2015

The recent arrest of a New York Bus Driver who failed to yield and severely injured a 15 year old pedestrian angers the union

The Transport Workers Union says that the new law penalizing drivers who have injured or killed a pedestrian after they failed to yield should not apply to bus drivers and that it is supporting a proposed amendment in the City Council to exclude bus drivers from the law. This statement from the bus drivers Union follows the arrest last week of Francisco de Jesus, a bus driver who severely injured a 15 year old girl after he failed to yield and struck her in the crosswalk (see previous blog). The bus driver is facing fines of up to $250 or 30 days in jail. Vision Zero proponents believes the punishment is not excessive and should apply to all drivers including bus drivers. Read more in the New York Times

Published on: February 18, 2015

A pedestrian who was struck by a car in Queens, NYC, at the begining of the month, died from his injuries

By GGCRBHS&M

On February 4th, around 11 pm, Marco Orellana was hit by a car on North Conduit Avenue near JFK airport. He was transported to the hospital in critical condition. The police announced yesterday that the man died from his injuries on February 11th. The police also said that they were still investigating the accident. During the accident, The 32 year old driver first struck the pedestrian and then rear-ended a parked car. He stayed at the scene and wasn’t charged. Read more in NewsDay

Published on: February 17, 2015

A 15 year old pedestrian suffered serious personal injury in a MTA bus accident in Brooklyn, NYC; the driver was arrested and charged

By GGCRBHS&M

A 15 year old girl suffered a severe leg injury after she was hit by a New York MTA bus. The accident happened when the bus driver made a left turn from Union Ave to Grand Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NYC Friday morning. The young girl whose name is Jiahuan Xu was crossing the street in a crosswalk and had the right of way. She was struck by the bus and her left leg was pinned under the wheel of the bus for 15 minutes. The driver, 58 year old Francisco de Jesus was charged with failure to yield and failure to exercise due care. Failure to yield became a misdemeanor last year as part of the Vision Zero program to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities. The bus drivers union was upset with the charges and said that drivers should be exempt from criminal charges related to driving.

Published on: January 28, 2015

A speeding driver who struck a pedestrian nearly killing him and sped away was caught by the police and charged with leaving the scene of an accident, criminal possession of a controlled substance, and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle

By GGCRBHS&M

A New York pedestrian is in critical condition after a driver slammed into him and tried to run away from the police. The 35 old man year old had just walked out of a Dehli and was crossing the road at Sherman Ave and Sickles Street in Manhattan when 42 year old Hector Mynaya sped down the street and crashed into the pedestrian. The driver sped away and went to hide in a nearby parking garage where the cops apprehended him.

Read more in the New York Post

Published on: January 28, 2015

A driver who fatally struck a pedestrian who was crossing the road in the crosswalk was charged with failing to exercise due care and driving without a license

By GGCRBHS&M

The NYPD announced they have charged a 60 year old driver who killed a 27 year old pedestrian in Brooklyn at the end of December. Raul Leone-Vasquez was hit in the crosswalk by Simcha Rosemblatt as he was crossing Bay Pkwy at Bath Ave in Bath Beach, Brooklyn, NYC. He was rushed to the hospital where he died two days later of his injuries.

Read more in the NY Daily News

Published on: January 23, 2015

Pedestrian deaths are the perfect crime according to former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson

By GGCRBHS&M

“Pedestrians vs. Cars: Manhattan’s Deadly Traffic Problem and What Can Be Done About It” was the subject of a discussion led two days ago by DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson, councilmember Helen Rosenthal, Dana Lerner, and members of the NYPD at the New York Society for Ethical Culture. During the dicsussion Jill Abramson noted that most of the time when a driver kills a pedestrian, nothing happens, not even a ticket. The discussion also covered subjects such as grievance for families who have lost a loved one in traffic accidents, recent traffic accidents data and speed cameras.

Read more in the Gothamist
Picture: Right of Way

Published on: January 23, 2015

A 69 year old pedestrian died after being struck by a car in Queens, New York

By GGCRBHS&M

A 57 year old woman was driving on Bell Boulevard near Estates lane in Bayside when she accidentaly hit a 69 year old woman who was trying to cross the street. The accident happened around around 5:30 pm. The victim was rushed to the hospital but she couldn’t be saved and died from her injuries. The driver remained at the scene of the accident and wasn’t charged with any criminal offense.

NYPD busted the driver who left a six year old pedestrian injured on the road after striking him when he was getting out of a school bus

By GGCRBHS&M

An unlicensed Queens driver who was trying to drive around a stopped school bus hit 6 year old Vincente Estremera as he was getting out of the bus. The driver first stopped and picked up the young boy and told the mother that her son looked OK but he could bring him to his doctor. He then put the child down, got in his car and left the scene of the accident. Vincente was diagnosed with a broken femur and needed to have plates and screws surgically implanted.

The NYPD busted the driver, 47 year old Garfield A. Myrie, at his home. Myrie is facing felony assault, leaving the scene of an accident, reckless endangerment and driving without a license.

Published on: January 15, 2015

Installation of speed-cameras in school areas in New York City leads to 59% decline of speeding tickets

By GGCRBHS&M

speed%20cameras.jpg Too many children in New York City died or suffered personal injury because a speeding car hit them on their way to or from their school.

To prevent these types of accidents and as part of the Vision Zero initiative, the NYC Department of Transportation started to install speed-cameras in school zones. 19 cameras have been installed so far in the city.

Last September the speed-cameras indicated that on average 3,539 drivers in a day drove at least 10 mph over the limit. As word spread about the cameras, drivers became more careful and in December he average number of drivers speeding at least 10 mph over the speed limit went down to 1461.

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Published on: January 12, 2015

A hit and run driver who fatally struck a 44 year old female pedestrian in Harlem on December 31st just surrendered at the DA’s office

By GGCRBHS&M

28 year old Prezidor Porbeni surrendered and admitted that he fled the police after he fatally hit a woman with his SUV in Harlem, NYC, on New Year’s eve.

The victim, 44 year old photographer Guler Ugur-Yaacobi (see picture), was hit by the SUV near the intersection of W.113th St and Amsterdam Ave at the beginning of the evening on December 31st. The impact was so strong that witnesses said the woman was sent 80 feet down Amsterdam. She was pronounced dead when she arrived at the hospital.

Porbeni turned himself in after the police released surveillance video and asked the public to help them find Porbeni’s 2006 Land Rover. He was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and driving with a suspended license.

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