I ran errands by bike today on Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side, and as always I feared that at any second I would get clocked by one of the roaring trucks or swerving taxis. And if I had? Would the driver suffer the consequences of involuntary manslaughter?
Hah. That’s a joke in New York City, in any of the five boroughs, as this story from Transportation Alternatives illustrates:
“On Oct. 18, Brooklyn resident Mathieu Lefevre was killed by a flatbed truck driver at the intersection of Morgan Avenue and Meserole Street. The driver left the scene of the crime, parked the vehicle a few blocks away and wasn't identified until several days later. Mathieu's family has repeatedly requested details of the investigation. The NYPD has denied those requests. A week later, the NYPD announced they will not file any charges against the driver.”
Dangerous driving laws are simply not enforced in this city, whether a vehicular crime is committed against pedestrians or cyclists.
Says TA, citing similar instances, “Over and over again, we see this pattern. A careless, distracted or speeding driver takes a human life and the police shrug. This cavalier attitude to an epidemic of lawless driving is absolutely unacceptable….The families of the victims deserve nothing less than a crackdown on the driving behavior that took their loved ones away from them.”
In protest TA together with Public Advocate Bill de Blasio will hold a rally Wednesday Nov. 30 at 8:30 a.m. in front of NYPD headquarters at 1 Police Plaza in lower Manhattan.
They will deliver thousands of letters to Commissioner Ray Kelly, all demanding an end to tolerance of traffic mayhem.
To join those who want to reduce accidents and prosecute dangerous driving, visit TA’s Traffic Justice page and fill out the form. And join others in person to call attention to the city’s disregard of traffic safety.
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