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.

Fatal Crashes (5 Killed This Week, 22 This Year, 4 Drivers Charged*)

• Astoria, Queens: Frank Justich, 41-Year-Old Sanitation Worker, Father of Two, Killed by Turning Truck Driver While on the Job; No Charges Filed (News, City Room, YourNabe, Post, NY1, WNYC)
• Fresh Meadows, Queens: Seymon Brodsky, 84, Killed at 182nd St. and Union Turnpike, Where Locals Have Lobbied NYCDOT for Safety Improvements; No Charges Filed (YourNabe)
• Queens: Crashes in Bayside, College Point, Forest Hills Claim 3 Pedestrians Since January 21, Including Two Hit-and-Runs; One Victim Identified as Arnulfo Velardo, 84; No Known Charges (YourNabe)

Injuries, Arrests and Property Damage

• Gothamist Newsmap: Unidentified Pedestrian Struck on UES
• Flatlands, Brooklyn: Unidentified Pedestrian Hit, Hospitalized in Critical Condition (Post)
• Long Island City: Collision Sends Driver Careening Into Restaurant; Injuries Unknown (Qns Gazette)
• Brooklyn: Parked Cars Hit in Police Chase Through Red Hook, Heights (Bklyn Paper, BHB)
• Bronx: Driver, Matron Save Four Disabled Kids From Burning School Bus (News)
• Pelham Bay: Two-Car Collision Leaves 1 in Coma; Driver Charged With DWI, Assault (YourNabe)
• Brooklyn: Trucker Runs Over Secret Service Car on BQE, Keeps Going; No Injuries, No Charges (Post)
• SI: Cops Made 9 DWI Arrests Last Weekend, 4 Stemming From Crashes (Advance)
• SI: Multi-Car Crash Shuts Down Bayonne Bridge (Advance)

Photo: WNBC

In the Region, Out of Town

• Tanker Crash Causes Massive Fire on LIE, Leaves 1 Dead (WCBS 1, 2)
• Central Islip, LI: 2 Die When Speeding Car Hits Trees; Teen Driver Charged With DWI (WNBC)
• Buffalo: Truck Driver Watching His Laptop Smashes Into Stalled Car, Killing Driver (AP)
• Clarence, NY: First Woman State Trooper to Die on Duty Killed in Truck Collision (AP)
• Toronto “Shell-Shocked” by Spate of Pedestrian Deaths (Spacing Toronto)
• Los Angeles: Driver Who Beat, Ran Over Pedestrian Claims Self Defense at Murder Trial (Times)

Other News

• With Traffic Deaths Down and Pedestrian Deaths Up, City Pledges Action (Streetsblog)
• NYPD Transportation Manager: Safe Pedestrians Not as Important as Happy Drivers (Streetsblog)
• Ray Kelly Joins Electeds in Call for Tougher Distracted Driving Penalties (Post)
• TLC Ban on Distracted Driving Takes Effect (Post)
• Study Finds No Decline in Crashes After Adoption of DWD Laws (Wheels)
• U.S. DOT Bans Texting by Truck and Bus Drivers (Bits)
• Colorado Looks Into Digital Billboards as Potential Distractions (KUSA)
• Toyota Shuts Production, Stops Sales of Eight Models Due to Sticky Accelerator (NYT 1, 2)
• 24K Chryslers Subject to Brake Failure Recall (WSJ)
• Bonus Recall Coverage: How to Stop an Out-of-Control Vehicle (NYT)

* Based on latest available reports