City Council Member David Greenfield is keeping an eye on the investigation into a fatal collision in Brooklyn last weekend, which so far points to the culpability of both drivers involved in the crash.
Greenfield told Streetsblog that he has been in touch with NYPD and the office of District Attorney Charles Hynes regarding the death of Chenugor Dao. Dao and three family members were standing near the corner of W. Fifth Street and Quentin Road on Saturday afternoon when two drivers collided at the intersection. One of the vehicles flipped over, striking Dao, her husband, daughter and 1-year-old granddaughter, according to reports.
Dao died at Lutheran Medical Center, and her relatives were hospitalized. Passengers in the vehicle that struck Dao and her family, a Jeep SUV, were also reported injured.
Though NYPD issued the boilerplate "No criminality suspected" statement shortly after the crash, Greenfield said an investigation has so far revealed that one driver was speeding and the other ran a stop sign. "NYPD has assured me that Highway is investigating," said Greenfield, referring to the Highway Patrol unit, which includes the Accident Investigation Squad.
"If you're driving on a rain-slicked road and you lose control, that's an accident," Greenfield said. "Speeding or running a stop sign is something you decide to do."
Hynes's office is working with NYPD to determine how the crash unfolded, according to Greenfield. "Criminal charges should be brought if warranted," he said.
Asked about the Crash Investigation Reform Act, a package of bills intended in part to compel NYPD to reform the department's crash investigation procedures, Greenfield said he is unaware of any movement to bring it closer to passage. It can take nine to 12 months for new legislation to pass through the council, he said. The bills were introduced in July, when Greenfield, joined by council colleagues and traffic violence victims at a rally outside City Hall, said NYPD could devote more resources to street safety and crash investigations within its current budget.
