The Weekly Carnage

The Weekly Carnage is a Friday round-up of motor vehicle mayhem
across the five boroughs and beyond. For more on the origins and purpose of this
column, please read About the Weekly Carnage.

“The Great” Joe Rollino, killed by driver on January 11 in Brooklyn

Fatal Crashes (7 Killed This Week, 14 This Year, 4 Drivers Charged*)

• Dyker Heights, Brooklyn: Joe Rollino, “World’s Strongest Man,” Killed by Brooklyn Minivan Driver at Age 104; No Charges Filed (NYT, NY1, News, Post, Bklyn Eagle)
• Annadale, SI: 23-Year-Old Daniel Kelley, Jogger Hit by Drugged Driver, Dies of Injuries; Further Charges Against Killer Gypsy Porfirio Pending (News, NY1, Advance 1, 2)
• Related: Pedestrian Safety on the Minds of Staten Islanders (Advance 1, 2)
• Eastchester, Bronx: Unidentified Pedestrian, 66, Hit by Driver of Mini Cooper; Gerard King, 53, Charged With Homicide, DWI (Post)
• Flushing, Queens: Unidentified Pedestrian Hit, Killed by Two Drivers on Grand Central Parkway; No Charges (News)
• Hillcrest, Queens: Speeding Driver Plows Into Cars on Grand Central Parkway, Killing Another Driver; Charged With DWI, Manslaughter (News)
• Bay Ridge, Brooklyn: Two Killed in Belt Parkway Crash; Driver Charged With Homicide (NYT, Post)

Injuries, Arrests and Property Damage

• Manhattan: Howard Safir Hits Pregnant Woman With SUV, Drives Off (NYT, NY1, News, Post)
• Related: DA Vance Examining Safir Hit-and-Run, Ped and Cyclist Deaths (Streetsblog, NYT, Post)
• Related: Ray Kelly Says Collision “Not a Criminal Matter,” Considers Case Closed (News, Fox5)
• Manhattan: Driver Fleeing Police Tears Through Midtown; 3 Cops Injured (Post, News)
• Queens: Pedestrian Critical After Collision in Hollis Hills; Driver Blames Sun; No Charges (NY1)
• Old Town, SI: Driver Rams SUV Into Laundromat, Steals Cash Register (News)
• Bulls Head, SI: Firefighter Hurt When Truck Carrying Oil and Antifreeze Catches Fire (Advance)
• Bronx: Driver Trying to Avoid Rear-Ender Hits Pole, Writes Entertaining Forum Post (8th Civic)
• Crashes Reported on Manhattan, Verrazano Bridges (WNBC, Advance)

Following Up

• Despite FOIL Request, NYPD Won’t Release Details of Solange Raulston Crash (Streetsblog)
• Cyclist Killed on Delancey Street Identified as 35-Year-Old Fuen Bai (DNAinfo via Gothamist)
• Services Held for Girl, 12, Killed on Bruckner Expressway; Investigation Continues (YourNabe)
• Gus Gonzalez Offered Plea Deal for Cyclist Assault; Vance Hasn’t Talked to Witness (Streetsblog)

In the Region, Out of Town

• LA Road Rager Christopher Thompson Gets Five Years for Injuring Two Cyclists (Streetsblog LA)
• Son of Brooklyn Rabbi, Two Others Killed in Crash Outside Pittsburgh (Post)
• Almond, NY: School Bus Driver Gets 90 Days for On-the-Job DWI (News)
• Windham, NY: 2 Teens Killed in Three-Car Catskills Crash (AP)
• How Safe Will Kids Be at Newark’s Speedway Elementary? (MTR)

Other News

• Vulnerable Street User Law to Be Reintroduced in Albany (Streetsblog)
• Before Leaving Office, Morgenthau Joined Ray Kelly in Cementing New DWI Procedures (News)
• FocusDriven, New Group Modeled on MADD, Takes on Distracted Driving (Bits, NY1)
• Cellphone-Using Drivers Cause 28 Percent of U.S. Crashes: 1.4M a Year (WaPo)
• Safety Guru Leonard Evans: Distracting Auto Tech “Worse Than a Six-Pack in the Front Seat” (AOL)
• Ford VP Says Company Wants to Make Cars “as Cool as Your iPhone” (MediaPost)
• New York, Connecticut Picked for Fed-Supported DWD Enforcement Study (WNYC)
• Tennessee Considering Crackdown on Life-Saving Traffic Cams (Times Free Press)
• FL Phantom Cam Controversy: Do Drivers Hate Cameras, or Hate Following the Law? (WZVN)

* Based on latest available reports