We know people are getting hit and badly injured on New York City streets, but when you see it, you can't truly believe how horrific — and how eminently preventable — it is.
First, the horror: Late on Monday, the NYPD sent over a video of a hit-and-run that occurred earlier in the day at the intersection of Mace Avenue and Eastchester Road in the deadly Bronx.
Several outlets — notably the Daily News and Gothamist — covered the crash and the NYPD's request for media assistance, but none pointed out the larger horror depicted on the video:
First, notice the traffic in general as the video opens:
- On Eastchester Road, cars are moving very quickly.
- Then, the light changes and a black Jeep like contraption starts moving in the same direction as the senior citizen on Mace Avenue. In rapid succession, there is utter chaos:
- First, the delivery truck on Eastchester Road is parked well into the roadway instead of at the curb.
- Then, a white van pulls a U-turn on Eastchester Road.
- Next, a four-door SUV rapidly races past the Jeep, whose driver has done the right thing, slowing to allow the pedestrian to cross.
- Next, the driver of the car who is oncoming on Mace Avenue is impatient, seeking to cut off the Jeep, who has the right of way, but is still patiently waiting for the pedestrian to cross.
- The pedestrian is plainly in sight of the driver, who runs over her and her grandson anyway.
The video closes with a clear shot of the driver, who had gotten out of his car to inspect the damage, then scurried away, cops said.
The video makes it clear that many drivers operate their vehicles in a reckless manner and that a more pedestrian-first design of Eastchester Road, a very wide street, might have prevented this crash. At the very least, better design might have prevented the driver from making that turn at such an angle and at such a speed.
All of that said, we share the NYPD's interest in catching this reckless driver, so if the above video jogs any memories, please call the NYPD tips line at 800-577-8477 (TIPS) or go to the "Crime Stoppers" website, or tweet the department at @NYPDTips. Police say all calls are kept confidential.
In other news:
- Pretty much everyone covered the mayor's news-free request for help from Albany to grant him permission to make the city's speed-camera program work better:
- Streetsblog, of course, gave the mayor his Albany ask, but also played up how much more effective the mayor would be if he would take control of his own streets.
- The Daily News played it straight, though wisely pointed out the merits of the existing camera program and how much better it could be if made 24/7.
- The Post suggested that there are too many cameras — that they've "grown exponentially," which is just not mathematically true (and our old man editor knows that because he spends most of the day teaching his 13-year-old son the math lessons that are inexplicable in today's remote learning environment).
- The Wall Street Journal played it straight.
- amNY also played it straight, but its coverage included a great photo from reporter Mark Hallum. Who knew?
- Gothamist did not have an equally good image, but the outlet's reporter Chris Robbins did grill the NYPD on why its own speeding enforcement efforts were so poor this year.
- See, now if the Sanitation Department had only done a better job clearing the snow, maybe this guy wouldn't have been shot! (NYDN)
- Boy, do we WISH this QNS headline was correct — and the state was only spending $14.30 to help drivers in Queens. Alas, it's more like $14.3 million!
- Lyft lost its battle against the taxi driver's minimum wage. (NY Post)
- OK, all right, we suppose it is time for a retrospective on the so-called "Naked Cowboy" in Times Square. So, OK, Wall Street Journal, do your worst.
- Finally, see the yellow logo in the top corner? It's an icon of our annual donation drive. And here's where we thank yesterday's donors (tomorrow, it could be you!): Thanks, Brian G.! Thanks, Joel E.! Thanks, Bryan K.!
