A teenage driver ran over a senior on a street with no sidewalks Sunday, and NYPD cast blame on the victim. The crash occurred in a police precinct where motorists have killed at least three pedestrians in 2014.
At around 3 p.m. yesterday, 84-year-old Ignascio Andal was walking westbound on Wicklow Place when a 17-year-old driver in a 2013 Mazda hit him after turning right from 188th Street, according to NYPD.
The Daily News published photos, taken after dark, which indicate Andal was pushing a four-wheeled cart.
Wicklow Place is a suburban-style residential street with no sidewalks that forms a T intersection with 188th Street. NYPD had no information on who had the right of way, how fast the driver was going, or what prevented him from seeing the victim -- nothing pertaining to the driver's actions other than his direction of travel. NYPD said Andal was "in the middle of the roadway." Andal was declared dead on arrival at New York Hospital Queens.
NYPD told Streetsblog the investigation is ongoing, but said "no criminality is suspected." According to the Daily News, "cops say that the 17-year-old driver is not being charged with a crime."
According to crash data compiled by Streetsblog, Andal was at least the third pedestrian killed by a driver this year in the 107th Precinct, where as of October officers had summonsed 157 drivers for failing to yield to pedestrians in 2014, and issued 523 speeding tickets. All three fatalities happened in the City Council district represented by Rory Lancman.
To voice your concerns about neighborhood traffic safety directly to Captain Paul A. Valerga, the commanding officer of the 107th Precinct, go to the next precinct community council meeting. The 107th Precinct council meetings happen at 8 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of the month at precinct, 71-01 Parsons Boulevard. Call 718-969-5973 for information. The 107th Precinct is also on Twitter.
