Did Cy Vance’s Office Investigate the Crash That Killed Mike Rogalle?
A Manhattan prosecutor says District Attorney Cy Vance's office has no record of any investigation into the curb-jump crash that killed pedestrian Mike Rogalle.
Rogalle, who delivered packages for UPS, was working his Financial District route on the afternoon of April 17, 2012, when an SUV driver ran him over on the sidewalk outside 15 Beekman Street. Rogalle was removed from life support days later. He was 58.
Reports said there were two adults and two small children in the SUV. The press identified the adult passenger, a man, as an FDNY inspector. The driver was reportedly a woman. The names of the people in the SUV were not reported by the media.
NYPD and Vance filed no charges against the driver who killed Mike Rogalle.
Last month NYPD rejected a Streetsblog FOIL request for records pertaining to the crash, citing “an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.” On May 26 we filed a freedom of information request for documents from Vance’s office, including emails, pertaining to the case.
Assistant DA Sarah Hines responded on June 10:
Utilizing the information provided in your letter, including the name of the man who died and the date and location of the collision, which you specify, I have made diligent inquiries in this Office, including speaking with the Chief of the Vehicular Crimes Unit as well as the Unit Coordinator of that unit. Despite these inquiries, I have been unable to locate any records or documents responsive to your request.
If we do not possess the items you seek, then your request must be denied on that basis. The District Attorney's Office cannot provide an item that does not exist or that we do not possess. If we do possess some or all of the items you seek, then your request does not "reasonably" describe them in a manner which enables me to locate them, and your request must be denied on that basis.
In the past, Vance's PR staff told Streetsblog they could not access traffic crash cases without defendants' names. Since very few traffic crashes in New York City result in criminal charges, there are usually no defendants to speak of. Meanwhile, NYPD generally does not divulge drivers' names after a serious crash unless charges are filed.
This makes it impossible for the public to know why charges are not brought against Manhattan drivers who injure and kill people. In the case of Mike Rogalle, it appears that either Vance's office is incapable of locating records when provided key details of a collision, or Vance's office did not investigate Rogalle's death.
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