The Weekly Carnage

The Weekly Carnage is a Friday round-up of motor vehicle mayhem
across the five boroughs and beyond. For more on the origins and purpose of this
column, please read About the Weekly Carnage.

carnage_rollino.jpg“The Great” Joe Rollino, killed by driver on January 11 in Brooklyn

Fatal Crashes (7 Killed This Week, 14 This Year, 4 Drivers Charged*)

  • Dyker Heights, Brooklyn: Joe Rollino, “World’s Strongest Man,” Killed by Brooklyn Minivan Driver at Age 104; No Charges Filed (NYT, NY1, News, Post, Bklyn Eagle)
  • Annadale, SI: 23-Year-Old Daniel Kelley, Jogger Hit by Drugged Driver, Dies of Injuries; Further Charges Against Killer Gypsy Porfirio Pending (News, NY1, Advance 1, 2)
  • Related: Pedestrian Safety on the Minds of Staten Islanders (Advance 1, 2)
  • Eastchester, Bronx: Unidentified Pedestrian, 66, Hit by Driver of Mini Cooper; Gerard King, 53, Charged With Homicide, DWI (Post)
  • Flushing, Queens: Unidentified Pedestrian Hit, Killed by Two Drivers on Grand Central Parkway; No Charges (News)
  • Hillcrest, Queens: Speeding Driver Plows Into Cars on Grand Central Parkway, Killing Another Driver; Charged With DWI, Manslaughter (News)
  • Bay Ridge, Brooklyn: Two Killed in Belt Parkway Crash; Driver Charged With Homicide (NYT, Post)

Injuries, Arrests and Property Damage

  • Manhattan: Howard Safir Hits Pregnant Woman With SUV, Drives Off (NYT, NY1, News, Post)
  • Related: DA Vance Examining Safir Hit-and-Run, Ped and Cyclist Deaths (Streetsblog, NYT, Post)
  • Related: Ray Kelly Says Collision “Not a Criminal Matter,” Considers Case Closed (News, Fox5)
  • Manhattan: Driver Fleeing Police Tears Through Midtown; 3 Cops Injured (Post, News)
  • Queens: Pedestrian Critical After Collision in Hollis Hills; Driver Blames Sun; No Charges (NY1)
  • Old Town, SI: Driver Rams SUV Into Laundromat, Steals Cash Register (News)
  • Bulls Head, SI: Firefighter Hurt When Truck Carrying Oil and Antifreeze Catches Fire (Advance)
  • Bronx: Driver Trying to Avoid Rear-Ender Hits Pole, Writes Entertaining Forum Post (8th Civic)
  • Crashes Reported on Manhattan, Verrazano Bridges (WNBC, Advance)

Following Up

carnage_drunk_bus_driver_vid.jpg

In the Region, Out of Town

  • LA Road Rager Christopher Thompson Gets Five Years for Injuring Two Cyclists (Streetsblog LA)
  • Son of Brooklyn Rabbi, Two Others Killed in Crash Outside Pittsburgh (Post)
  • Almond, NY: School Bus Driver Gets 90 Days for On-the-Job DWI (News)
  • Windham, NY: 2 Teens Killed in Three-Car Catskills Crash (AP)
  • How Safe Will Kids Be at Newark’s Speedway Elementary? (MTR)

Other News

  • Vulnerable Street User Law to Be Reintroduced in Albany (Streetsblog)
  • Before Leaving Office, Morgenthau Joined Ray Kelly in Cementing New DWI Procedures (News)
  • FocusDriven, New Group Modeled on MADD, Takes on Distracted Driving (Bits, NY1)
  • Cellphone-Using Drivers Cause 28 Percent of U.S. Crashes: 1.4M a Year (WaPo)
  • Safety Guru Leonard Evans: Distracting Auto Tech “Worse Than a Six-Pack in the Front Seat” (AOL)
  • Ford VP Says Company Wants to Make Cars “as Cool as Your iPhone” (MediaPost)
  • New York, Connecticut Picked for Fed-Supported DWD Enforcement Study (WNYC)
  • Tennessee Considering Crackdown on Life-Saving Traffic Cams (Times Free Press)
  • FL Phantom Cam Controversy: Do Drivers Hate Cameras, or Hate Following the Law? (WZVN)

* Based on latest available reports

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