Three New Yorkers killed on the same day, all struck by vehicles in a four-hour time frame, and two of the drivers hit the run.
This real-life horror scene has prompted traffic safety advocates to advocate for laws that allow speed limits to be set in New York City, without the need to ask the state for permission.
“Traffic violence is another form of violence that we are determined to eradicate,” said Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodríguez.
According to the organization Transportation Alternatives, activists know better than politicians which speed limits and which places are most effective in saving lives.
In East Harlem, where police set up a checkpoint between East 122nd Street and 3rd Avenue on Friday, a 62-year-old Hispanic man was killed two days earlier just steps from his home.
“He was a very humble person. He did what he did but he didn’t bother anyone. And for that to happen like this is sad,” said Jorge Delgado, who knew the victim.
The car that struck the victim, identified as Oscar Nieves, was a gray SUV and the driver did not stop. The incident happened around 7:30 p.m.
A few minutes earlier in Borough Park, Brooklyn, at the intersection of 50th Street and 13th Avenue, a 23-year-old man lost his life.
That same night, at 11:22 a.m., the driver of a white pickup truck ran a red light at the intersection of Williamsbridge and Pierce Avenue in The Bronx, killing a 64-year-old cyclist. The driver didn’t stay either.
“One person that is beaten or one person that dies is a lot for us,” added Commissioner Rodríguez.
Commissioner.
In 2014 the Vision Zero initiative gave way to redesigning corners and crosswalks. But already in 2023, 54 people have died in crashes and almost a third are passers-by or cyclists. This is 32% more than in the same time period in 2018.
The activists ask that the delay in the approval of the budget be used to include the law that allows reducing the established speed limits, which are now 25 miles and 15 in school zones.
