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17 Pedestrians & Cyclists Killed In December, 1,500 Injured
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 24, 2013
Modified Jan 24, 2013
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 24, 2013
Modified Jan 24, 2013
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Seventeen pedestrians and cyclists were killed by motor vehicles in December, and of the crashes reported by the media, no drivers were charged of a crime. According to the NYPD's crash statistics for last month [PDF],1,500 more pedestrians and cyclists were injured (1,290 and 210 respectively) in crashes across the city, which was the highest amount all year. Four of the fatalities were hit-and-run incidents that occurred in a span of four days leading up to the new year, including the death of 11-year-old Miguel Torres of Queens, who was killed by a dump truck that failed to yield to him in a crosswalk. The driver was given a traffic fine of $150. None of the other hit-and-run drivers have been found or charged.
Streetsblog accounts for 12 of the pedestrian fatalities and the one cycling fatality, and notes that no drivers were charged with a crime in those incidents. The other four deaths haven't been reported and their circumstances are unknown.
Twelve motorists and their passengers died in traffic incidents, while 3,029 were injured. The total number of traffic incidents in December was 17,087, which works out to an average of 551 every day. You can see a list of the contributing factors for the incidents here [PDF], the most common being driver inattention/distraction. Queens had the highest number of fatalities of all the boroughs, with 7 pedestrians, 2 motorists, a passenger, and a cyclist.
Tagged
AIS
bike lanes
bikes
cycling fatalities
nypd
pedestrian fatalities
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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