A 26-year-old man was killed by a hit-and-run truck driver in the Bronx early Tuesday.
At around 4:43 a.m., Jermaine Elliot was crossing Barnes Avenue at E. 233rd Street in Wakefield, a short distance from his home, when the driver of a white box truck traveling north on Barnes struck him while turning left, according to reports. Witnesses said the driver did not slow or stop after impact. Elliot was pronounced dead at Jacobi Medical Center.
"That corner, I've seen where they've had accidents and they've ripped the whole fencing and cars flipped over," a local resident told NY1. "People got killed over there. It's not the first time."
DNAinfo spoke with the victim's loved ones:
Elliot's mother Marva Parker implored the driver to admit to the crime.
"He's a coward, for him to hit my kid and keep going," Parker, 49, said. "Turn yourself in. What you did was wrong."
A relative of Elliot's, June Miller, also wanted to see the driver face justice.
"The driver should go to prison. The guy is wicked," Miller said.
Sadly, Elliot's relatives and friends are not likely to see justice done. "It was not clear if the driver knew Elliot had been hit," reported the Daily News. And thanks to a justice system rigged to excuse motorists for deadly negligence, assuming the driver is caught or comes forward, a simple "I didn't see him" may be enough to satisfy police and prosecutors.
This fatal crash occurred in the 47th Precinct. To voice your concerns about neighborhood traffic safety directly to Deputy Inspector Paul DeEntremont, the commanding officer, go to the next precinct community council meeting. The 47th Precinct council meetings happen at 8 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month "at varying locations." Call the precinct at 718-920-1202 for information.
The City Council district where Jermaine Elliot was killed was represented by Larry Seabrook, who was thrown out of office in July when he was convicted on corruption charges. A special election will be held in November to fill the District 12 seat.
