NYC Drivers Injured 1,324 Pedestrians and Cyclists in June, and Killed Nine
Twenty people died in New York City traffic in June, and 5,514 were injured, according to City Hall’s Vision Zero View crash data map.
City Hall reported 56 pedestrians and cyclists killed by city motorists through June, and 6,915 injured, compared to 65 deaths and 7,252 injuries in the first six months of 2016.
Eleven motor vehicle occupants died in the city in June, according to City Hall, and 4,190 were injured.
Citywide, five pedestrians and four cyclists were fatally struck by drivers. Among the victims were Jason Tseng, Daniel Nelson, Dan Hanegby, Gabriel Garcia, Michael Mamoukakis, Corbin Carr, Ronald Burke, and an unnamed male pedestrian in the Bronx.
Motorists killed two seniors in June: Jason Tseng and Michael Mamoukakis. Both victims were 80 years old.
Across the city, 805 pedestrians and 519 cyclists were reported hurt in collisions with motor vehicles. Per NYPD policy that has not changed since the 2014 launch of the Vision Zero program, few of these crashes were investigated by trained officers.
Of eight fatal crashes on surface streets reported by Streetsblog and other outlets, no motorists were known to have been charged for causing a death.
NYPD said Chelsea cyclist Dan Hanegby swerved into the path of the charter bus driver who killed him, though video later revealed the driver sideswiped Hanegby while attempting to pass.
Days later, another charter bus driver killed cyclist Michael Mamoukakis a few blocks away. Both drivers were off-route, and both crashes occurred in the 10th Precinct, where bus companies commonly use streets where buses aren’t supposed to be. Though both Hanegby and Mamoukakis appeared to have the right of way, no charges were filed by NYPD or Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance in either case.
Cyclists Corbin Carr and Ronald Burke were killed within hours of one another in Manhattan and Brooklyn. In both cases, NYPD told the press the victims ran red lights, but could point to no corroborating evidence, such as video or witness statements, to substantiate the department’s version of events. Witnesses said Burke was struck from behind by a motorist traveling in the same direction, contradicting NYPD’s initial account of the crash. The driver who hit Burke fled the scene.
Daniel Nelson and Gabriel Garcia were killed while walking in Staten Island and the Bronx, respectively, by hit-and-run drivers who were not immediately caught or identified. Most hit-and-run drivers who strike people in NYC are not held accountable in any way.
Historically, nearly half of motorists who kill a New York City pedestrian or cyclist do not receive so much as a citation for careless driving.
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