The horrific Fourth of July DWI vehicular killing of three pedestrians in a Lower East Side park — which injured eight others — was national news over the weekend.
In the sickest of ironies, driver Daniel Hyden is a substance abuse counselor from New Jersey who currently lives in the Bronx, The Post reported. Prosecutors charged Hyden, 44, with vehicular homicide, driving under the influence, assault and "aggravated unlicensed" operation of a vehicle.
As online sleuths were quick to note, Hyden's Ford F-150 appeared to have neither its front nor back New Jersey license plates attached properly — both were behind the truck's windshields.
Ok, so let me get this straight - the vehicle had neither a front OR rear license plate mounted properly? Both New Jersey plates were in the windows? pic.twitter.com/4OUnlxNgZu
— Jehiah (@jehiah) July 6, 2024
Hyden plowed his massive truck over the curb and into Corlears Hook Park about an hour after being ejected from a boat party nearby — killing 59-year-old Lucille Pinkney, her 38-year-old son Hernan Pinkney and 43-year-old Ana Morel. He is being held without bail, according to WABC-TV, which obtained terrifying video of the high-speed rampage.
Other members of the Pinkney family were among the victims. The crash's youngest victim is an 11-year-old, ABC said. Outraged onlookers "pulled Hyden from the truck and assaulted him as cops were called," the Daily News said.
In other news:
- "Fine tune congestion pricing, but make it happen": The city's most staunchly pro-congestion pricing editorial board is open to a lower toll amount. (Daily News)
- News flash: Less money for transit means less money for transit. (Newsday)
- Too bad the MTA isn't as vindictive as its non-voting board member (and NYC transit legend) Norman Brown. (NY Post)
- Congestion pricing is good for the retail industry. (Glossy)
- CBS New York checked in with disability advocates upset over the effect of the congestion pricing "pause" on LIRR accessibility work.
- The Village Sun's editorial diatribe against congestion pricing has a weighty factual error. (Komanoff via Twitter)
Here it is, folks – the screed that broke the record for anti-congestion pricing bullshit. And it came not from a frothing “resident” or “motorist” but from a veteran journalist -- @TheVillageSun editor Lincoln Anderson: https://t.co/fFxbJcLk2n. 1/4 pic.twitter.com/Mqa2AhUvn4
— Charles Komanoff (@Komanoff) July 6, 2024
- The Federal Transit Man wishes the Federal Transit Administration a happy 60th birthday (Mass Transit Mag) ... and chides it for "failed oversight" of the MTA's Hurricane Sandy grants. (Reason)
- We're very excited about this creative secondary use of a Brooklyn gas station. (Hell Gate)
- More subway platform barriers are coming. (Our Town)
- More Amtrak chaos. (NY1)
- Next City profiled Streetsblog's visit to Stockholm.
