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ghosttruck

Level 57 Taco Wizard
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This story is brought to us by an up and coming new member @Vexxed

The teenage driver who ran a red light in Brooklyn earlier this month and smashed into another car, which then struck and killed 52-year-old cyclist Jose Alzorriz, has been charged with eleven crimes, including manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. Both of those charges are felonies.

Police say they arrested 18-year-old Mirza Baig on Wednesday. Baig, a Queens resident, is also charged with vehicular assault, reckless endangerment, assault, criminal solicitation, criminal facilitation, reckless driving, running a red light, disobeying a traffic device, and speeding.

Graphic video of the crash from August 11th shows Baig running a red light on Coney Island Avenue, T-boning a Honda SUV, which then launches into Alzorriz. A pedestrian and the driver of the Honda were also injured in the crash.

Alzorriz, who lived in Park Slope, was the 19th cyclist to die on New York City streets this year—nine more than were killed in all of 2018.

Baig faces a maximum of five to 15 years in prison on the top charge, and was released on $50,000 bond after being arraigned on Wednesday. He is due back in court on October 23.

"We have no desire to see this young driver spend years upon years behind bars. But at the same time, there has to be some severe consequences to such egregious reckless driving," Marco Conner, the co-deputy director of Transportation Alternatives, told Gothamist.

"The goal that the DA should seek is to deter and prevent future reckless driving. I hope that this sends the message that operating a multi-ton vehicle is an awesome responsibility that we have not fully recognized," Conner said. "Bringing these charges is a step towards recognizing that."

The decision of the Brooklyn DA, Eric Gonzalez, to throw the book at Baig stands in stark contrast to their decision to not prosecute the truck driver who struck and killed bike messenger Aurilla Lawrence in Williamsburg earlier this year. A spokesperson for the DA told Gothamist that "the likely proximate cause of the crash was a large crater on the roadway, which caused the victim to fall before being struck," an assertion that outraged Lawrence's family and friends.

On Sunday, a memorial ride and march for Alzorriz and "to end traffic violence" will begin at Bartel-Pritchard Square on the corner of 15th Street and Prospect Park West at 10 a.m.

“This tragic case illustrates the dangers faced by cyclists and pedestrians when drivers choose to recklessly ignore the rules of the road," DA Gonzalez said in a statement. "I urge all motorists to obey the speed limit, follow all traffic laws and yield the right of way to those who share our streets. If they don’t, they might take a life in an instant - and face serious criminal charges."




 

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To end "traffic violence"? That's 2500+ pounds of machine coming at you. Intentional or not. It's ALWAYS going to be violent. You're going to have to ban cars, scooters, buses, trains and all other motorized means of human transport for that to happen... :confused:
 
I hope that this sends the message that operating a multi-ton vehicle is an awesome responsibility that we have not fully recognized," Conner said. "Bringing these charges is a step towards recognizing that."

This had to be said, why?????
Sounds like his boyhood dream of being a trucker didn’t happen......
 
Increased DUI/DWI penalties haven't had any effect on the number of drunk drivers. They really think "throwing the book" at this one idiot is going to change anything?
 
To end "traffic violence"? That's 2500+ pounds of machine coming at you. Intentional or not. It's ALWAYS going to be violent. You're going to have to ban cars, scooters, buses, trains and all other motorized means of human transport for that to happen...
The only safe bike is a stationary bike.
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Just sitting here thinking how ironic it would be somebody on that March or bike ride got hit and killed. I wonder if any of the organizers have considered the possibility of such irony occurring?
That would require imagination, something they sorely lack.
 
I hit a parked car while I was riding my bike when I was little..
I wonder why these people ALWAYS run after hitting a pedestrian? I mean, surely the punishment is wayyyy lighter if you stay behind to make a report instead of running away?
 
That area doesn't have the correct infrastructure to create safe bicycle riding (truly separate bike lanes, like part of the sidewalk, not in the street).

It's possible that a properly-constructed bike path would have saved that guy's life. But it was pretty bad, that accident, so I don't know. Depends on the bike lane I guess. Some proper bike lanes even have steel pilings that protect bike riders from potential car accidents.

It's stupid for people to protest against drivers instead of protesting against not having actual bicycle infrastructure. That's how stupid is tho. Raging and screaming and blaming the wrong thing.

Pics of a few actual bicycle lanes: https://idonotdespair.com/2016/07/05/a-cycling-day-in-helsinki/ .
 
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