The Weekly Carnage is a Friday round-up of motor vehicle violence across the five boroughs. For more on the origins and purpose of this column, please read About the Weekly Carnage.
A hit-and-run driver killed pedestrian Guler Ugur-Yaacobi in Morningside Heights on New Year’s Eve. Prezidor Porbeni was later charged with felony leaving the scene and unlicensed driving, court records say. NYPD and Manhattan DA Cy Vance did not charge Porbeni for causing a death. Photo: LinkedIn via Daily NewsA hit-and-run driver killed Guler Ugur-Yaacobi in Morningside Heights on New Year’s Eve. Prezidor Porbeni was later charged with felony leaving the scene and unlicensed driving, court records say. NYPD and Manhattan DA Cy Vance did not charge Porbeni for causing a death. Photo: LinkedIn via Daily News
Fatal Crashes (4 Killed Since Jan. 1*, 1 Driver Charged**)
Upper East Side: Wesley Mensing, 27, Struck by Uber Driver While Crossing Street With Girlfriend, Who Was Injured; No Charges Filed (Streetsblog 1, 2)
Morningside Heights: Guler Ugur-Yaacobi, 44, Killed in Hit-and-Run on New Years Eve; Driver Later Charged With Leaving Scene, Driving With Suspended License (News, DNA)****
Verrazano-Narrows Bridge: Thomas Choi, 62, Struck in 2013, Dies From Injuries (WCBS)****
Cross Bronx Expressway: Pamela Pimental, 27, Killed When Driver Rear-Ends Livery Cab; Driver Charged With Homicide, DWI (Post)
Kensington: Jose Hoffman, 56, Killed in Four-Car Crash; 1 Injured (Bklyn Paper)
Injuries, Arrests, and Property Damage
Cobble Hill: Drunk Driver Smashes Into Bar Storefront (DNA)***
East Flatbush: 23 Injured, Three Critically, When Driver Triggers Crash Involving MTA Bus (News)
DSNY Truck Driver and Livery Cab Driver Collide as Both Attempt Turns (DNA)
Hudson Square: Man Hits Parked Cars, Port Authority Cruiser, Threatens Police (News, DNA)
Laurelton: Driver Flips Car at Belt Parkway and Francis Lewis Boulevard (@NYScanner)
Old Town: Drunk Driver Backs Into Parked Ambulance, Twice (Advance)
Kensington: NYPD Officer Injured in Joyride on Cruiser's Hood (News, Post, WCBS, Bklyn Paper)
Lighthouse Hill: Driver Arrested for DWI After Crashing Into Rock Barrier (DNA)
Great Kills: Driver With Nearly Three Times the Legal BAC Crashes Into Telephone Pole (Advance)
* Based on latest available reports ** Drivers known to have been charged for causing a death in 2015 *** Incident in which a vehicle left the roadway **** Crash occurred prior to 2015 and is not included in count
Two stories highlighted a restorative justice program that allows traffic crash victims and perpetrators the chance to meet face-to-face. Plus more news.
The new legislation follows a seven-month Streetsblog investigation that found widespread fraud involving temp tags, with car dealers abusing weak state regulations and selling paper plates illegally to drivers using them to evade accountability on the road.
A horrific car crash has federal safety officials calling for systematic responses to traffic violence — including the aggressive car ads that may inspire motorists to hit the gas.