I just want to say that DSNY gets my massive respect. They move slowly and carefully.

Some the private haulers are nuts – flying down the streets. Terrible.

Don’t forget blowing red lights (without even bothering to slow down), and driving against traffic when it speeds garbage pickup. To be fair I’ve read the drivers are often paid per shift, not per hour, and aren’t given enough time to make their pickups even driving illegally.

For what it’s worth however, between the noise the trucks make plus the ridiculous lighting it’s pretty hard not to know they’re coming from at least a few blocks down.

The footage magically disappeared? Come on, NYPD…

How in the world do they say, “Evidence points to it being an accident due to the fact that it was a garbage truck” and they are “not pursuing any criminal charges at this time,” when, in the next breath they say, a “very active” investigation remains underway? If a “very active” investigation is underway then how the hell have they exonerated the driver and declared his innocence and decided not to pursue charges?

BTW… Mine is a rhetorical question. I am fully aware that the only reason why NYPD says a very active investigation is underway is so that they can decline press inquires and reject FOIL requests on this case.

But other than motor vehicle fatalities, in what other realm of criminal justice and law enforcement is bullshit like this allowed to happen? It’s just incredible.

The industry is a mess.

http://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-hall/story/2016/05/dirty-hands-the-unseen-world-of-new-yorks-private-waste-industry-102989

Yup.

Adding that I think the trash collectors work is quite dangerous, on par with being a police officer. But the trash collectors don’t go around whining about respect and putting their lives on the line so they want a little “professional courtesy” to break the law whenever the Fxxk they want to.

Good point Joe R about wages.

Generally, I agree with you. However, two days ago, at midday, I was almost struck by a NYC Sanitation truck that barreled west on Kenmare and then turned, without slowing, onto Lafayette Street, making we pedestrians crossing on the green run for our lives. I even saw it coming, made eye contact with the driver, raised my hand, and he still continued with his dangerous speedy turn. (the other cars and trucks were slowing, by the way). Maybe its the makeup of the street there, because this was not the first time on Kenmare St. with a Sanitation Truck. So no…not always so slow and careful.

Hitting a pedestrian and leaving the scene does always imply guilt. Drivers are responsible for controlling their vehicle to avoid other vehicles/people.

In what bizarro world would these both not be true?

– Running someone over and leaving the scene is de facto a crime. It’s called hit-and-run. At minimum, it’s a sign that you are too reckless, negligent, distracted or irresponsible to be allowed to drive a huge, dangerous truck in a crowded city if you can’t even tell when you’ve run over an adult human body. “Big Truck” is not a valid defense or justification for hit-and-run.

– Yes, there are systemic problems with the safety of these enormous, poorly designed trucks in cities and, more generally, with the business practices and driving behavior of private garbage haulers in New York City. That’s been a problem for a long time and this is well known and somewhat well understood.

By sweeping this stuff under the rug, jumping to exonerate the driver even while the “very active” investigation is ongoing, and by simply deciding this is an “accident” not worthy of attention or follow-up, authorities with the same attitude as yours make enable these kinds of fatalities to continue unabated. We never actually even try to understand or address the problem.

Are you a f-cking troll or just an idiot?

Of course hit and run is a crime under the laws of NYC/state. They didn’t (yet) prosecute the driver because he came up with the BS excuse that he “didn’t see the person”

A DA with half a brain could figure this out but the point is Vance is lacking that.

You sound like a conspiracy theorist. Do you really believe there is an active attempt police and DA’s to let murders and criminals go free. They are applying the law, which I am pretty sure you have never read. Once again you are missing the real question which is why these accidents occur and it is not about driver intent but the dynamics relating to driver behavior that are not understood that lead to these accidents.

I’m well aware of the failures of the DAs. They are elected officials and it will be sorted out in the election booths.

What is your point?

You started this thread with “I find your perspective on how the law should be applied quite worthless
as you are stating de facto hitting a pedestrian and leaving the scene
always implies guilt”

Leaving the scene = guilt. The driver here is a criminal, whether or not the DA actually does anything about it is a different topic.

The accidents occur because a material amount of NYC area drivers are negligent sociopaths. They continue to occur because the NYPD avoids “hard work” like the plague and the DAs won’t work unless the victim’s family protests and/or if they feel it will provide political gain.

Regarding “applying the law” It could be applied to TRY to prosecute criminals or you could find ever more creative loopholes to let everyone go. The powers-that-be have choose the latter for traffic violence. (finding ever more creative loopholes to let people go)

If we were talking “victim-less crime” i.e drug use, drinking on a stoop or even the oh so serious crime of selling loose cigarettes the NYPD and DA would take the exact opposite approach.

Yes, no s-it that is what the laws says as written. However (1) You don’t have to take the criminals word for it on whether they committed the crime because basically you open a loophole to anarchy and (2) NYPD/DA actively choose how they “want” to apply the law.

So if you take your statement at face value the city could save a lot of money but firing the entire NYPD force and DA offices because we will trust the word of the criminal to let us know when they’ve done wrong.

Or like I said previously:

Regarding “applying the law” It could be applied to work toward prosecuting criminals OR you could find ever more creative loopholes to let everyone go. The powers-that-be have choose the latter for traffic violence. (finding ever more creative loopholes to let people go)

If we were talking “victim-less crime” i.e drug use, drinking on a stoop or even the oh so serious crime of selling loose cigarettes the NYPD and DA would take the exact opposite approach as done here.

Not all of these drivers are necessarily deliberately leaving the scene, but by injuring or killing a pedestrian with the right of way, they have already committed a crime.

In many of these cases, yes they are trying to run away.

In either case, they are guilty of gross negligence, causing the loss of another person’s life, and a crime.

FYI – no one cares about your amateur submissions to “judicial authorities.”

Good grief.

Driver must be someone important’s black sheep nephew.

Unlike you I strive to get information before becoming part of a lynch mob. Interestingly, in a legal blog concerning this death the writer stated that the police believe that Mr Goldstein was not in the crosswalk when hit but was actually crossing illegally and was thrown forward after being hit by the garbage truck. This is not about blaming a victim but just getting the facts straight. This may explain why there appears to be a lack of police and DA action in this case. As I said I am will to wait and actually read the police report when the investigation is complete.