One Brooklyn
January 7, 2020
Brooklyn, NY – Today, following a hit-and-run on Friday at Flatlands Avenue and East 78th Street that took the life of 70-year-old Maria Lorente, a former cafeteria worker at South Shore High School in Canarsie, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez joined elected officials and advocates to call on Albany to strengthen laws against hit-and-run drivers. The tragedy represented the first hit-and-run in Brooklyn in 2020, following a particularly deadly year for traffic crashes.
“The tragic death of Maria Lorente should serve as a wake-up call to legislators in Albany. We must take aggressive steps to crack down on hit-and-run drivers. I was proud to champion legislation when I served in the state Senate increasing penalties for drivers leaving the scene of an incident without notifying the proper authorities, and I am looking forward to partnering with District Attorney Gonzalez, Assembly Member Cymbrowitz, and Assembly Member Lentol to get the ‘Hit-and-Run Prevention Act’ across the finish line,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.
“Distracted, aggressive, and reckless drivers present a danger to those around them and, when they injure, maim, or kill, must be held responsible. Hit-and-runs are particularly callous and cowardly as they leave someone to bleed and die in the street. That is why I’m calling on Albany to strengthen our laws regarding leaving the scene of a crash, which currently incentivize drunk drivers who kill or injure to flee. The Legislature must pass the bill that raises penalties on these offenses without delay in order to close a glaring loophole and to send a message that we demand more responsibility and accountability from drivers who harm others,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
“New York City has seen countless cyclists and pedestrians seriously injured or killed as a result of hit-and-run drivers. The Hit and Run Prevention Act will help bring awareness to the importance of staying on the scene of an accident, provide a mechanism to increase the chances of finding a hit-and-run suspect, and deter drivers from leaving the scene of an accident. This measure is about saving lives and I am prepared to work with my colleagues in Albany to get it passed. One life lost on our streets is one too many,” said Assembly Member Joseph R. Lentol.
“Last week’s tragic incident underscores the need for stricter enforcement of hit-and-run accidents and an aggressive public awareness campaign about the penalties for committing this heinous crime,” said Assembly Member Steven Cymbrowitz. “No family should have to suffer because of a motorist’s callous disregard for both the law and the sanctity of human life.”
“We’re pleased to see progress toward the passage of this legislation, which will take away the incentive for drivers who may be impaired to flee the scene of a crash,” said Transportation Alternatives Deputy Director Marco Conner. “Hit-and-run crashes are a threat to public safety, and Transportation Alternatives applauds DA Gonzalez, Borough President Adams, and Assembly Members Lentol and Cymbrowitz for taking steps toward ridding New York City of this particularly egregious offense.”
Borough President Adams and District Attorney Gonzalez called on legislators in Albany to pass the “Hit-and-Run Prevention Act” (A2721), co-sponsored by Assembly Members Lentol and Cymbrowitz, which was initially introduced in 2017. The bill would create a hit-and-run alert system, which would electronically distribute information on the suspect’s vehicle following a hit-and-run incident, allocate $1 million toward an anti-hit-and-run public information campaign, and increase the penalty for leaving the scene of a crime resulting in serious physical injury from a Class E Felony to a Class D Felony. It would also increase penalty for leaving the scene of a crime resulting in death from a Class D Felony to a Class C Felony.
Last year, there were 218 traffic fatalities in New York City, including 121 pedestrians and 28 cyclists. According to statistics from the New York City Police Department (NYPD), through September 2019, the most recent month for which there is data available, there were nearly 40 collisions in New York City in which the driver left the scene without reporting.
-30-
