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No Charges For Sanitation Driver Who Killed Man In Crosswalk
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Feb 24, 2014
Modified Feb 24, 2014
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Feb 24, 2014
Modified Feb 24, 2014
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The driver of the Sanitation truck that struck and killed a rabbinical student yesterday morning in Crown Heights had a valid license and no criminal record. According to the Daily News, DSNY employee Marlon Martinez, 39, took a right turn from Kingston Avenue onto Carroll Street and hit 25-year-old Gedalia Gruntzweig, who was attempting to cross Carroll. Gruntzweig had the right of way, but an NYPD spokesman said that no citations or summonses were issued to the driver.
CrownHeights.ch obtained video of the incident from a surveillance camera:
Gruntzweig, who was born an only child in Ukraine, was studying to become a rabbi in Morristown, New Jersey, and was visiting Brooklyn over the weekend to attend a party for a friend who is getting married.
"Brooklyn mourns the passing of Gedalia Gruntzweig," Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said in a statement. "I am confident that the NYPD will conduct a full investigation to best determine the cause of this tragedy…We must also act with even greater urgency towards the implementation of Vision Zero, the City’s plan to prevent traffic fatalities, improve pedestrian safety and protect our most vulnerable populations."
This morning, the City Council's committees on transportation and public safety are meeting for a joint oversight hearing on the mayor's "Vision Zero" initiative to reduce traffic fatalities and promote pedestrian safety.
Tagged
Crown Heights
pedestrian fatalities
pedestrian safety
sanitation
vision zero
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
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