REGO PARK, NY – According to Qchron.com, a 26-year-old woman was killed on Sunday in Rego Park when she was struck by a hit-and-run driver. The victim was reportedly walking on the sidewalk of Queens Boulevard when a 2005 Lincoln Town Car leaving a gas station struck her and then fled the scene. Police caught […]
REGO PARK, NY – According to Qchron.com, a 26-year-old woman was killed on Sunday in Rego Park when she was struck by a hit-and-run driver. The victim was reportedly walking on the sidewalk of Queens Boulevard when a 2005 Lincoln Town Car leaving a gas station struck her and then fled the scene.
Police caught up with the green cab driver, a 55-year-old man after witnesses followed the vehicle and one person reached into the car and removed the keys.
The victim was a student at Baruch College and worked at her family’s restaurant, the Mamasita Bar & Grill in Manhattan.
Hit-and-run crashes have remained steadily high in New York City despite the efforts of the Vision Zero program to eliminate traffic deaths. Part of the problem with hit-and-run accidents in the city is that many of the drivers who commit these crimes are never brought to justice.
Most hit-and-run crashes only result in damage to property. These accidents often involve a vehicle striking a parked car and then fleeing the scene. The chances of anyone being arrested in one of these incidents is dismal. However, it is even more disturbing that in even in injury-causing hit-and-runs the drivers often get away from the scene and are never apprehended.
Part of the problem is that once these people escape, especially if there are no witnesses, the chances of finding them are slim. Another problem is that the police department simply lacks the resources necessary to track down and arrest these drivers effectively.
Early alert programs have gone into effect to tell people in the area when one of these accidents happen so that people who might see the vehicle and recognize it know to report to the police.
Apprehending these drivers often requires help from good Samaritans.
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