posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, February 16, 2012.
In October, an artist was riding his bike in Brooklyn when he was struck by a flatbed truck. The driver fled the scene of the accident, and police later announced that the driver would not face criminal charges.
The artist’s mother was recently in New York City to attend a City Council meeting in which the New York City Police Department was questioned on their handling of traffic accidents. Some have accused the NYPD of hiding evidence and not properly charging drivers.
The Executive Officer of the Transportation Bureau was at the council meeting to defend the NYPD and pointed to the decline in traffic fatalities over the last ten years. In addition, he mentioned the city’s vigorous action against bicyclists, citing the more than 48,000 tickets that were handed out to bicyclists in 2011.
Despite the vast number of tickets given to bike riders, some believe the NYPD is not doing enough to help bicyclists when accidents occur. In New York City’s five boroughs, there is only one NYPD Accident Investigation Squad with 23 officers assigned to it.
One councilman said he is outraged and concerned that the investigation into the accident that killed the young artist has been compromised because of officer’s lack of attention.
Others joined the artist’s mother at the council meeting, riding their bikes in honor of those who have been killed in bike accidents. At the meeting, the artist’s mother asked for honesty and said that she believes drivers who kill people should be held accountable.
In addition to criminal charges, drivers who cause harm to bicyclists may also face a personal injury lawsuit. When people are injured because of another person’s reckless actions, they should be compensated in order to pay medical bills and to make up for any lost wages, as well as any pain and suffering that resulted because of the accident.
Source: Huffington Post, “Mathieu Lefevre Death Leads To City Council Hearing Over NYPD’s Handling Of Accidents,” Feb. 16, 2012