Last week, Mathieu Lefevre was biking south on Morgan Avenue in East Williamsburg when he was killed by a truck driver turning right from Morgan onto Meserole Street. The driver parked a short distance away and left the scene. After trying to locate the driver for days, the NYPD finally tracked him down, but as Gothamist's John Del Signore reported yesterday, they're not going to file charges. Police say the driver was not aware he struck Lefevre, who died before ambulances reached the scene.
Details about the circumstances of the crash and why police exonerated the driver in a fatal hit-and-run remain scarce. The victim's family and friends say the police have not been forthcoming.
Juliana Berger, Lefevre's former wife, told Transportation Alternatives: "I have been with the family since we have received the news on Wednesday. Almost all of the information we have is what we have read in the newspaper. The fact that we have not been properly informed adds insult to injury. The family is trying to cope with this tragedy, but it seems nearly impossible given the lack of information. We can't bear the fact that other families have likely been given the same treatment and other families are bound to be treated this way if nothing changes."
Tomorrow, members of Mathieu Lefevre's family will join TA and Neighbors Allied for Good Growth to call on NYPD and Commissioner Ray Kelly to uphold traffic laws and protect New Yorkers from reckless driving. The rally starts at noon at NYPD headquarters -- One Police Plaza -- and the public is invited to attend.
