Carnage

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.

By Brad Aaron

1:00 PM EST on January 22, 2010

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.

No charges were filed in this week’s collision that took the life of Astoria pedestrian Abundio Mendez-Perez. Photo: YourNabe

Fatal Crashes (3 Killed This Week, 17 This Year, 4 Drivers Charged*)

Astoria, Queens: Abundio Mendez-Perez, 32, Hit by Driver While Crossing Broadway at 21st Street; No Charges Filed (YourNabe)
East Flatbush: Driver Killed After Hitting Pothole, Utility Pole; 5 Passengers Hurt (News, Post)
Bloomfield, SI: 1 Killed, 2 Injured When Unlicensed Driver Slams Into Tree (Advance)

Injuries, Arrests and Property Damage

Harlem: Hit-and-Run Driver Strikes Woman and Grandson, Severing Her Leg (Gothamist, News)
Borough Park, Brooklyn: Man, 99, Assaulted by 83-Year-Old Driver Over Parking (Post)
Brooklyn: Unlicensed Drunk Driver Caught Running Lights in Grand Army Plaza (YourNabe)
Oakwood Heights, SI: 18-Year-Old Wrecks Stolen Car After Police Stop (Post)
Brooklyn: Tractor-Trailer Crash Causes Oil Spill (YourNabe)
W. Village: Apparently Famous Stefano Chitis Nets DWI After Wrong-Way Escapade (News)
SI Expressway Brought to Standstill After Two Crashes (Advance)

Following Up

Queens: DWI Hit-and-Run Car Thief Who Killed 2 Pedestrians Gets 15 Year Max (WINS, Post)
Staten Island DA: Drugged Driver Who Killed Daniel Kelley Might Not Be Charged (Advance)
Brooklyn: Killer DWI Cop Andrew Kelly Blames Pedestrian Death on Vic’s Drinking (Streetsblog)
Related: Family of Vionique Valnord Struck Again by Haiti Earthquake (News)
Manhattan: Police Say Bus Driver Who Killed Fuen Bai Was Backing Up; Still No Charges (Villager)
SI: Family Sues Driver Who Escaped Charges in 2008 Pedestrian Death (Advance)
Queens: Mother to Sue City Over Foster Parent Crash That Killed Daughter (Gothamist)
Manhattan: Rev. Al’s Daughter, Ex-Wife Headed to Trial Over ’09 Traffic Stop (WINS)

In the Region, Out of Town

West Nyack: NYPD Inspector’s Wife Said to Have Drowned After Driving Into Family Pool (News 1, 2)
Orangetown, NY: Boy, 11, Killed by 76-Year-Old Driver; Investigation Ongoing (LoHud)
Nassau County Detective Charged in Hit-and-Run (WINS)
Roseville, CA: Distracted “Hands-Free” Driver Plows Into Creek, Shoots His Way Out (Star-Trib)
English DJ, Irate Motorists Team Up to Encourage Suicidal Woman to Jump From Bridge (Mail)

Other News

Elmhurst Hospital Cites Vehicles as Top Cause of Injuries, Highest Level in Nearly 10 Years (News)
Advance Reader: Death by DWI Is No “Accident”
City and State Agencies Insist It’s Safe to Text Drivers With Traffic Alerts (News)
Paterson Budget Includes Speed Cameras for State Police (Observer)
LAPD Assigns Task Force to Work With Cyclists on Street Safety (Streetsblog LA)
Study Says Helmet Laws Discourage Cycling (MO Bike Ped Fed)
Momentum Grows in CT for Seat Belts on School Buses (AP)
The Latest in Luxury Motoring: Concentration-Intensive “Virtual Dashboards” (WSJ)

* Based on latest available reports

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.

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