Discussion
  • Read More
    JustActSurprisedAndy Cush
    5/17/16 4:27pm

    The only articles I could find indicate that, although terrible tragedies like this happen, the city is doing everything in their power to address it. In fact, in 2014 the number of pedestrian deaths was the lowest in years. The same held true in 2015.

    Is the point of this article saying people who take part in accidents should be punished more severely?

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      KittyReavenJustActSurprised
      5/17/16 4:27pm

      I think the point is that you probably shouldn’t be able to negligently kill people and result in nothing.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      ReburnsABurningReturnsJustActSurprised
      5/17/16 4:28pm

      Lowering the number of deaths and giving justice to those already killed are not the same thing.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    BIMming ItAndy Cush
    5/17/16 4:27pm

    This is horribly tragic, and easily preventable with upgraded signals. The city should be held to account for this, just as much as the driver should.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      JohnSadamsBIMming It
      5/17/16 4:28pm

      Or just, you know, looking both ways. I blame the mom here.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      BIMming ItJohnSadams
      5/17/16 4:32pm

      She had the right of way, how is it her fault?

      I mean, obviously taking extra caution is a good thing... but that doesn’t mean she’s at fault here. The more appropriate response would be: Keep your eyes on the road and look before turning right when a ‘walk’ signal is on.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    EasyDoesItAndy Cush
    5/17/16 4:55pm

    There's a difference between criminal action and civil liability. Accidentally hitting someone is not a criminal act unless you were reckless, drunk or something to that effect. It would be just as wrong to criminally charge someone for an accident. It is NOT murder. Additionally, when crossing the street with a three year old, HOLD THEIR FUCKING HAND.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      fnsfsnrEasyDoesIt
      5/17/16 5:15pm

      I have to say, there is a big difference between a child being “a few steps” behind an adult and being 12 feet. I’ve walked on city streets many times with my niece and nephew when I was young and know many parents of young children; they might run ahead a bit on the sidewalk if they are playing around but you instinctively grab their hand when crossing the street. Absolutely the driver is still at fault but it’s certainly worth noting that parents should exercise diligence when walking with children.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      hellhogEasyDoesIt
      5/17/16 5:32pm

      Do you know what a hit-and-run is?

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    ChrisMSFAndy Cush
    5/17/16 4:49pm

    This is insanity. A car accident is not murder. Jesus Christ. A headline like this leads you to expect a scandal, or a piece of investigative journalism, or something meaningful. Instead we get 1500 words to announce that tragic car accidents happen and they're the same as deliberate premeditated homicide. This is why the real world mocks Gawker Media.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      mayolitaChrisMSF
      5/17/16 5:45pm

      Why do you assume it was an accident? Do you realize the family had the right of way and the driver turned into them? Do you whether or not the driver was speeding, texting, distracted by something else? Then why do you say “accident”?

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      ChrisMSFmayolita
      5/17/16 6:33pm

      Because assuming diver error is reasonable. Assuming random vehicular homicide, absent any reason or evidence, is unreasonable. People get hit by right-turning cars all the time, especially smaller people, like children. Barring any evidence of intent the only logical explanation is tragic mistake.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    Murry ChangAndy Cush
    5/17/16 4:29pm

    And that’s why I check for cars making turns even if I have a walk signal. I can avoid a car much more easily than a car can avoid me.

    Not to mention that letting the cars and peds go at the same time is fucking stupid.

    “You don’t need special powers or privileges to get away with murder in New York.”

    Well, you certainly win the hyperbole award for today.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      Raaaaaaaadaniel ChicagoMurry Chang
      5/17/16 4:37pm

      Ditto for the title of the article....>My first thought was “no thanks.”

      I am an EXTREMELY defensive driver/bicycler in my city, and that BARELY gets you out of accidents on a daily basis.

      People are fucking stupid, so to put your life in ANY stranger’s hands is pure madness, so as you said, over cautious=alive. And still accidents happen.
      It’s a crowded place out there, be safe!

      Chicago started tier-ing the walk lights/green lights which seems to have helped, and they have a bunch of protected lanes for bikers now which is nice, but gitdamn if it isn’t a jungle out there, especially Fri after work.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      facwMurry Chang
      5/17/16 4:39pm

      Letting cars and pedestrians go at the same time is essential. Have you seen traffic in a city, any city? If you hold the cars turning, you will sometimes be holding them when they could otherwise safely go, but more importantly you’ll be blocking traffic going straight as well. The roads are already too crowded, we don’t need to add more congestion. There is already a perfectly good solution, which is for turning cars to yield. In the case where they don’t, they should be punished.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    destor23Andy Cush
    5/17/16 4:35pm

    The solution here is not to jail people over unintentional incidents, it’s to build better, safer crosswalks and traffic signals.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      SouthboundPachydermdestor23
      5/17/16 4:37pm

      Or do both.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      weebleswobbledestor23
      5/17/16 5:01pm

      That’s definitely the end game, but when the incident is a function of breaking driving laws or not paying appropriate attention (texting while driving, speeding, or moving without a signal, as was the case with this driver), they should face consequences. If you recklessly endanger the lives of others (and kill someone to boot), there should be consequences beyond your conscience.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    aprilphreshAndy Cush
    5/17/16 4:51pm

    I wish that more stoplights in the city would have delayed starts with pedestrians given a window of time before the light turns green to start crossing. I’ve even seen a few signs for this indicating the delayed light change (forget the terminology). My crazy intersection on Ocean Parkway has extended their time allotment now, and it’s not near as terrifiying to cross there. Sadly it took a couple people getting run down to make this change happen.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      loafensteinaprilphresh
      5/17/16 5:10pm

      There’s a few places here in downtown San Diego that do “all-ways-walk” windows when no cars go and all pedestrians going any way (including diagonally) can cross. It’s great when you’re walking but I can see it getting frustrating for cars trying to turn during busy parts of the day.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      smokeybaileyaprilphresh
      5/17/16 5:10pm

      Or for pedestrians to NOT cross the street on a red hand or a red light. The red blinking hand means do not start across the street. Not, hey, come across.

      I don’t know about NY but I wish that pedestrians where I live would obey the lights. There is nothing worse than missing my green arrow because people have no crossing against the hand. Ugh.

      Everyone needs to be responsible for their piece of the traffic pie. That 3 year old was depending on everyone to pay attention on her behalf.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    Sam BAndy Cush
    5/17/16 4:29pm

    NYPD has a phrase they love to use - “no criminality suspected.” Driving an unregistered car, without a license, hop the curb and cream some elementary school kids? Nope, just a tragic accident, no criminality suspected.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      Gary-XSam B
      5/17/16 6:15pm

      I remember in 2013 or so, a car jumped the curb in my neighborhood while going the wrong way—after hitting three other cars and pulling a u-turn—and struck a mom and her two sons. One of the sons died. The prosecution, amazingly, summed it up as “What you see is rather bad driving, poor judgement, poor control of the car, possible pedal misapplication. There is no smoking gun here.”

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      SonofKalas2Sam B
      5/17/16 7:02pm

      where has this EVER happened MR or MS strawman? no where does it say the driver was without licence or registry

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    pedal-forceAndy Cush
    5/17/16 4:38pm

    Remove jaywalking laws and also put crosswalks in the middle of the block. Guess where the most dangerous place to cross the street is. It’s on the corner. Where almost all of our crosswalks are. It’s much safer to cross in the middle of the block, where you have long site lines and no turning traffic.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      facwpedal-force
      5/17/16 4:41pm

      There is some evidence that this approach works. Note however that it would fail badly in a pedestrian driven city like New York because if you are walking straight across several blocks, you’d have to walk to the middle, and then walk back to the intersection on each one. To really make this work, you’d need sidewalks cutting through the middle of each block.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      The Original Sunshinepedal-force
      5/17/16 7:36pm

      I also really like the all direction cross walks, the ones that stop traffic in all direction so that everyone can cross safely. You can cross the street diagonally . I love that.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    ╰(　´◔　ω　◔ `)╯< Woke and BokeAndy Cush
    5/17/16 4:28pm

    This is what happens when you ban guns, NYC. Now you’ve exalted the next deadliest weapon and made it easier to get away with killing someone with it. Now, there’s no one magic bullet for getting rid of cars, but I would suggest a strategy of arming bicyclists, making pedestrians sturdier, and perhaps even introducing the car’s natural enemy into the environment (a Virgina state trooper).

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      Hip Brooklyn Stereotype╰(　´◔　ω　◔ `)╯< Woke and Boke
      5/17/16 4:32pm

      NYPD got to my dirt bike before I could ride it around town in protest :/

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      ╰(　´◔　ω　◔ `)╯< Woke and BokeHip Brooklyn Stereotype
      5/17/16 4:34pm

      You can just flatulate loudly while you ride the subway. Next best thing.

      Reply
      <