Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bicycling

You Can Drive Over a Child, But Don’t Drive Away After

1:45 PM EDT on July 2, 2008

The Daily News today has the story of a 10-year-old Suffolk County cyclist who was mangled by a hit-and-run driver on Monday, the first day of the boy's summer vacation. Hit while riding with a friend, the unidentified kid had both his legs broken. But according to police, the driver's only offense was what he did after the crash.

[T]he van's driver stopped briefly to watch the boywrithe in pain on the road before driving off, police said Tuesday. Thestrange thing is, that up to that point, he hadn't done anything wrong,as far as police know.

"I can't imagine that he didn't know that he had hit someone," Detective Sgt. William Rand said.

Until the van's driver left the scene, the mishap did not appear to have involved any illegal act on the part of the van driver. "He should have stopped," Rand said. "This really would have been considered an accident."

So until he drove away from the scene, all the driver had done was run over and maim a child. It was a mishap. An accident.

Really, happens all the time.

Brad Aaron
Brad Aaron began writing for Streetsblog in 2007, after years as a reporter, editor, and publisher in the alternative weekly business. Brad adopted New York'’s dysfunctional traffic justice system as his primary beat for Streetsblog. He lives in Manhattan.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Congestion Pricing

Stockholm Leader’s Message to NYC: ‘Congestion Pricing Just Works’

"In Stockholm, people really thought that congestion pricing would be the end of the world, the city will come to a standstill, no one would be able to get to work anymore and all the theaters and shops would just go bankrupt. None of that happened."

May 3, 2024
Today's Headlines

Friday’s Headlines: Trump Trial Trumps Safety Edition

Is anyone going to bother to fix the dangerous mess on the streets and plazas around the Trump trial? Plus more news.

May 3, 2024
Congestion Pricing

Adams Offers Bare Minimum to Seize Congestion Pricing’s ‘Space Dividend’ Opportunity

The mayor's list of projects supposedly meant to harness congestion pricing's expected reduction in traffic is mostly old news, according to critics.

May 2, 2024
Congestion Pricing

OPINION: Congestion Pricing Will Help My Family Get Around As We Navigate Cancer Treatment

My partner was recently diagnosed with cancer. Congestion pricing will make getting her to treatment faster and easier.

May 2, 2024
Today's Headlines

Thursday’s Headlines: NYPD Discovers Chained Bike Locks Edition

May 2, 2024
See all posts