UPDATE: Cops Charge Driver for Killing Pedestrian in Dangerous Boro Park
How the local news covered the crash, including its easy to misunderstand headline. Photo: Boro Park 24
UPDATED, Feb. 3, 4;25 p.m. | Another pedestrian has been killed by a driver in Boro Park, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city — but this time, the driver was charged.
Police released little intial information about the crash or the fatality, but it is the talk of the Yiddish press in the mostly Jewish neighborhood. According to BoroPark24, Yisroel Yakov Breit, 82, was struck at 13th Avenue and 53rd Street last Tuesday at around 9:30 p.m.
Breit "went flying into the air," according to the news outlet, which was filled with pictures of the aftermath of the crash. Breit was taken to Maimonides Hospital nearby with severe head trauma, and he died there on Tuesday, according to the same outlet.
Police finally issued a statement three days after the local press reports, identifying the victim as James Bright.
On Monday, Feb. 3, the NYPD said that 22-year-old driver Avraham Ederi had been charged with failure to exercise due care and failure to yield — both minor charges that rarely result in jail time.
The 66th Precinct is one of the most dangerous places in the city to be a cyclist or a pedestrian. Last year, there were 2,788 crashes in the precinct's small footprint, resulting in injuries to 112 cyclists, 227 pedestrians and 393 motorists, with three cyclists and one pedestrian being killed by drivers.
By comparison, the neighboring 68th Precinct had 925 fewer crashes on its local streets, with 243 fewer injuries. The neighboring 62nd Precinct had close to 300 fewer crashes, with 38 fewer injuries.
The area is represented by Council Member Kalman Yeger, who has resisted many efforts by the city to redesign roadways for safety.
Story was updated to report the charges against the driver.
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