Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about NYPD Crash Investigations

Marlene Baharlias, 77, Killed by Motorist, Blamed by NYPD and the Post

By Brad Aaron | Mar 19, 2014 | 12 Comments

A senior was killed Tuesday in Sheepshead Bay by a driver who witnesses say backed onto a sidewalk — contrary to anonymous NYPD sources who told the Post the victim was jaywalking. No charges were filed. Marlene Baharlias, 77, was walking home from the doctor with her husband when the driver of a Mercedes SUV backed onto the curb […]

Will the New York DMV Keep an Unlicensed Killer on the Road?

By Brad Aaron | Feb 28, 2014 | 15 Comments

When a driver in New York loses his license, it’s up to the state Department of Motor Vehicles to decide when, or if, he gets it back. Based on a recent hearing attended by Streetsblog, the DMV adjudication process at times relies primarily on testimony from drivers involved in fatal crashes, rather than police reports […]

No Summonses for DSNY Driver Who Killed Man in Crown Heights Crosswalk

By Brad Aaron | Feb 24, 2014 | 43 Comments

A pedestrian crossing with the right of way was struck and killed in Crown Heights Sunday by a city sanitation worker who was not charged or ticketed by NYPD. Gedalia Gruntzweig, 25, was walking with friends when, at approximately 9:08 a.m., he was hit at the corner of Carroll Street and Kingston Avenue. Published reports […]

De Blasio Wants Albany to Make Careless Driving a Crime [Updated]

By Brad Aaron | Feb 19, 2014 | 8 Comments

As part of his Vision Zero agenda, Mayor Bill de Blasio wants Albany to elevate careless driving to a criminal offense, increasing penalties while making it easier for police to hold reckless motorists accountable. Enacted in 2010, Hayley and Diego’s Law was intended as a default infraction for crashes that injure pedestrians and cyclists. But under Ray […]

80-Year-Old Pedestrian and MTA Bus Driver Killed in Separate Crashes

By Brad Aaron | Feb 12, 2014 | 5 Comments

In the last 24 hours, an 80-year-old pedestrian and an MTA bus driver were killed in crashes in Brooklyn and Manhattan. At around 1:35 p.m. Tuesday, Margarita Seda was struck by the driver of a GMC vehicle as she crossed Grand Street at Graham Avenue in Williamsburg, according to WCBS and the Daily News. WCBS reported […]

How NYPD’s Opaque Crash Investigations Spoil Its Street Safety Message

By Stephen Miller | Feb 6, 2014 | 3 Comments

Last month, the Upper East Side’s 19th Precinct devoted two full pages to traffic safety in its inaugural monthly newsletter. In an echo of Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, who claimed at the initial Vision Zero press conference that 73 percent of crashes injuring pedestrians are the victim’s fault, it featured an eyebrow-raising statistic that blames […]

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