Comments on: Pedestrian Dead After Van Drags Him 17 Miles http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:01:47 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Andy B from Jersey http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-63040 Andy B from Jersey Fri, 13 Feb 2009 05:36:20 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-63040 Oh yeah, if you notice from the WPIX video, the van driver didn't even slow down and he seemed to illegally pass the driver of the one car that pulled to the right. That's NOT safe driving! And that's no cargo van. It's a conversion van. There is no way that you don't notice that you are dragging a body around driving such a vehicle. Also why the hell didn't the one driver that pulled to the right, not block the road to protect the injured man in the street?!?! It looks like he was just going to drive around him and move on! Shades of that incident up in Connecticut where they let a man (who was hit by a car involved in an illegal chase) lay in the street for 2 minutes before anyone even bothered to come to his aid. He also ended up dieing. I came upon a pedestrian crash once while driving and I immediately blocked the intersection with my car and directed traffic around the incident to protect the injured person until police arrived. Such action should be required of all drivers who come across such a scene. Oh yeah, if you notice from the WPIX video, the van driver didn't even slow down and he seemed to illegally pass the driver of the one car that pulled to the right. That's NOT safe driving! And that's no cargo van. It's a conversion van. There is no way that you don't notice that you are dragging a body around driving such a vehicle.

Also why the hell didn't the one driver that pulled to the right, not block the road to protect the injured man in the street?!?! It looks like he was just going to drive around him and move on! Shades of that incident up in Connecticut where they let a man (who was hit by a car involved in an illegal chase) lay in the street for 2 minutes before anyone even bothered to come to his aid. He also ended up dieing.

I came upon a pedestrian crash once while driving and I immediately blocked the intersection with my car and directed traffic around the incident to protect the injured person until police arrived. Such action should be required of all drivers who come across such a scene.

]]> By: Andy B from Jersey http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-63039 Andy B from Jersey Fri, 13 Feb 2009 05:17:34 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-63039 So far in 2009! So far in 2009!

]]> By: Andy B from Jersey http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-63038 Andy B from Jersey Fri, 13 Feb 2009 05:16:17 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-63038 Here's what happened in just the past two weeks in New Jersey, ending on Monday the 9th. Unconfirmed rumors say that half of the traffic fatalities so far in New Jersey have been pedestrians. Celebration followed by tragedy The Record • Friday, January 30, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/dfy8kb Hit-run driver kills woman in Downtown Jersey City The Jersey Journal • Friday, January 30, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/b5rtws Cops ID pedestrian killed on Rt. 9 Asbury Park Press • Thursday, January 29, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/bglclj Man struck by NJ Transit bus in Butler Daily Record • Thursday, January 29, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/avlzz2 Follow-up: Pedestrian dies after last week's accident) (follow-up to this original story http://tinyurl.com/9wodgq) Asbury Park Press • Wednesday, January 28, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/als342 No traffic light, lamp or chance for lady hit on Ave. C The Jersey Journal • Thursday, January 29, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/bf9kmn North Bergen hit-run victim tentatively identified The Jersey Journal • Wednesday, February 4, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/cr2vvt Child (pedestrian) dies after car, fire truck collide in Trenton The Times of Trenton • Saturday, January 31, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/adlcft Vehicle strikes Clarksboro man in crosswalk Gloucester County Times • Tuesday, February 3, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/ak6fqn School bus strikes woman The Record • Tuesday, February 3, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/ct55dk Pedestrian hit The Record • Wednesday, February 4, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/cyky99 Pedestrian reportedly struck near Somerville Circle in Bridgewater Courier News • Friday, January 30, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/dbeejd Pedestrian hit in Monroe (Gloucester Co.) Gloucester County Times • Saturday, January 31, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/cdwlz4 Tinton Falls man struck and killed on highway off-ramp Asbury Park Press • Monday, February 9, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/bwhbev 53-year-old Point Pleasant woman struck, killed on Route 88 Asbury Park Press • Monday, February 9, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/b5gbub Gloucester Twp. hit-and-run critically injures girl (riding bike) Courier-Post • Monday, February 9, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/aqr9hr Woman struck by car in bar parking lot The Record • Thursday, February 5, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/caucos Teen pedestrian struck by vehicle Today’s Sunbeam • Saturday, February 7, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/ak6blg Hospital visitors struck by car The Record • Monday, February 9, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/bgy94b Here's what happened in just the past two weeks in New Jersey, ending on Monday the 9th. Unconfirmed rumors say that half of the traffic fatalities so far in New Jersey have been pedestrians.

Celebration followed by tragedy
The Record • Friday, January 30, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/dfy8kb

Hit-run driver kills woman in Downtown Jersey City
The Jersey Journal • Friday, January 30, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/b5rtws

Cops ID pedestrian killed on Rt. 9
Asbury Park Press • Thursday, January 29, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/bglclj

Man struck by NJ Transit bus in Butler
Daily Record • Thursday, January 29, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/avlzz2

Follow-up: Pedestrian dies after last week's accident)
(follow-up to this original story http://tinyurl.com/9wodgq)
Asbury Park Press • Wednesday, January 28, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/als342

No traffic light, lamp or chance for lady hit on Ave. C
The Jersey Journal • Thursday, January 29, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/bf9kmn

North Bergen hit-run victim tentatively identified
The Jersey Journal • Wednesday, February 4, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/cr2vvt

Child (pedestrian) dies after car, fire truck collide in Trenton
The Times of Trenton • Saturday, January 31, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/adlcft

Vehicle strikes Clarksboro man in crosswalk
Gloucester County Times • Tuesday, February 3, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/ak6fqn

School bus strikes woman
The Record • Tuesday, February 3, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/ct55dk

Pedestrian hit
The Record • Wednesday, February 4, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/cyky99

Pedestrian reportedly struck near Somerville Circle in Bridgewater
Courier News • Friday, January 30, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/dbeejd

Pedestrian hit in Monroe (Gloucester Co.)
Gloucester County Times • Saturday, January 31, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/cdwlz4

Tinton Falls man struck and killed on highway off-ramp
Asbury Park Press • Monday, February 9, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/bwhbev

53-year-old Point Pleasant woman struck, killed on Route 88
Asbury Park Press • Monday, February 9, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/b5gbub

Gloucester Twp. hit-and-run critically injures girl (riding bike)
Courier-Post • Monday, February 9, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/aqr9hr

Woman struck by car in bar parking lot
The Record • Thursday, February 5, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/caucos

Teen pedestrian struck by vehicle
Today’s Sunbeam • Saturday, February 7, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/ak6blg

Hospital visitors struck by car
The Record • Monday, February 9, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/bgy94b

]]> By: Air http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-62971 Air Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:43:29 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-62971 There's a video of the collision here: http://www.wpix.com/landing/?Exclusive-Video-Victim-of-17-Mile-Draggi=1&blockID=211201&feedID=1404 There's a video of the collision here:
http://www.wpix.com/landing/?Exclusive-Video-Victim-of-17-Mile-Draggi=1&blockID=211201&feedID=1404

]]> By: Eric McClure http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-62947 Eric McClure Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:50:13 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-62947 Critical Mass has indeed tried to accomplish this, but rightly or wrongly, it's perceived by many as a "fringe" movement. Too many people still view cyclists as freaks, and no small number are seemingly more concerned with someone on a bike rolling through a red light than they are with an SUV driver plastering a pedestrian. The Civil Rights movement reached a tipping point in the '60s when otherwise unengaged folks started seeing clips on the evening news of fire hoses and police dogs being unleashed on school children in places like Birmingham. We need moms with kids in strollers to get mad, and to stand with we cyclists and Livable Streets advocates in demanding change. Critical Mass has indeed tried to accomplish this, but rightly or wrongly, it's perceived by many as a "fringe" movement. Too many people still view cyclists as freaks, and no small number are seemingly more concerned with someone on a bike rolling through a red light than they are with an SUV driver plastering a pedestrian.

The Civil Rights movement reached a tipping point in the '60s when otherwise unengaged folks started seeing clips on the evening news of fire hoses and police dogs being unleashed on school children in places like Birmingham. We need moms with kids in strollers to get mad, and to stand with we cyclists and Livable Streets advocates in demanding change.

]]> By: bob previdi http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-62944 bob previdi Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:47:53 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-62944 How many people have to die before we set penalties for hitting or killing someone with a car. This is totally within our control to legislate but we need to take action. If the NYPD report says the car was not driving normally - what constitutes "not normally" I doubt it is something we can prosicute. We need black boxes in cars - tie them to phone/text/email records and start doing this more professionally. Then have rules that make drivers accoutable. How many people have to die before we set penalties for hitting or killing someone with a car.

This is totally within our control to legislate but we need to take action.

If the NYPD report says the car was not driving normally - what constitutes "not normally" I doubt it is something we can prosicute.

We need black boxes in cars - tie them to phone/text/email records and start doing this more professionally. Then have rules that make drivers accoutable.

]]> By: Peter Flint http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-62940 Peter Flint Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:30:16 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-62940 RE: "civil disobedience against the violence of the private automobile" Isn't that pretty much what the Critical Mass people have be trying, at least in part? And we know how effective that's been! I don't have much respect for the Crit Mass approach, but the police and the city seem to have no problem treating hundreds of bicyclists riding en masse as criminals either. It's going to take more than that to get the attention of the powers-that-be. RE: "civil disobedience against the violence of the private automobile"

Isn't that pretty much what the Critical Mass people have be trying, at least in part? And we know how effective that's been! I don't have much respect for the Crit Mass approach, but the police and the city seem to have no problem treating hundreds of bicyclists riding en masse as criminals either. It's going to take more than that to get the attention of the powers-that-be.

]]> By: Antonio http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-62939 Antonio Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:18:49 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-62939 Eric, you're on to something: civil disobedience against the violence of the private automobile. But the ideology of car-centricity is so strong, any such activism would read as "crazy" today. It's going to take decades of work to shift the consciousness and the policies of this country on the car. Eric, you're on to something: civil disobedience against the violence of the private automobile. But the ideology of car-centricity is so strong, any such activism would read as "crazy" today. It's going to take decades of work to shift the consciousness and the policies of this country on the car.

]]> By: rex http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-62933 rex Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:31:55 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-62933 Aaron make the carnage cast coast to coast, and twitter whenever a road death occurs. Aaron make the carnage cast coast to coast, and twitter whenever a road death occurs.

]]> By: Aaron Naparstek http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-62929 Aaron Naparstek Thu, 12 Feb 2009 01:23:59 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-62929 I'd love to get the Weekly Carnage going again, Niccolo. The guy who was producing it for us, Aaron Donovan, got a new job and stopped having time to continue doing it. We tried out another guy, he couldn't hack it, and the feature just sort of faded away. But Donovan wrote up a nice "How to" document. We could pay someone a modest fee for producing it. It requires three to five hours a week to really do it right plus a certain level of obsessiveness that can't be taught. We should probably put a job ad up here on the blog and see if we can get it going again. I'd love to get the Weekly Carnage going again, Niccolo. The guy who was producing it for us, Aaron Donovan, got a new job and stopped having time to continue doing it. We tried out another guy, he couldn't hack it, and the feature just sort of faded away. But Donovan wrote up a nice "How to" document. We could pay someone a modest fee for producing it. It requires three to five hours a week to really do it right plus a certain level of obsessiveness that can't be taught. We should probably put a job ad up here on the blog and see if we can get it going again.

]]> By: dporpentine http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-62928 dporpentine Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:51:43 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-62928 This is the second time this week that pedestrians have been hit twice by different vehicles. Two times in one week. It's unbelievable. This is a crazed system. For those who missed the first one, the story is here: http://tinyurl.com/bm9rgv This is the second time this week that pedestrians have been hit twice by different vehicles. Two times in one week. It's unbelievable. This is a crazed system.

For those who missed the first one, the story is here:
http://tinyurl.com/bm9rgv

]]> By: Christa Clark-Jones http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-62927 Christa Clark-Jones Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:42:32 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-62927 "what will it take? probably some celebrity or model being run over by an immigrant" Car-free celebrities/models? ;) "what will it take?

probably some celebrity or model being run over by an immigrant"

Car-free celebrities/models? ;)

]]> By: JohnT http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-62923 JohnT Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:51:29 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-62923 One thing's for sure: We will never see a report of a bicyclist striking and killing a pedestrian and then dragging him along for 17 miles, unaware, will we? One thing's for sure: We will never see a report of a bicyclist striking and killing a pedestrian and then dragging him along for 17 miles, unaware, will we?

]]> By: Niccolo Machiavelli http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-62921 Niccolo Machiavelli Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:28:47 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-62921 Personally, I miss the "Weekly Carnage" feature you used to run. It was my most emailed piece from this site. I am curious as to how the editorial decision making went to cut it. Was it a thing of where you thought it was distracting from building the political center of gravity around streets issues? Or, was it just too much work to compile the mountain of weekly fuck ups that drivers foist on themselves and everyone else? Personally, I miss the "Weekly Carnage" feature you used to run. It was my most emailed piece from this site. I am curious as to how the editorial decision making went to cut it. Was it a thing of where you thought it was distracting from building the political center of gravity around streets issues? Or, was it just too much work to compile the mountain of weekly fuck ups that drivers foist on themselves and everyone else?

]]> By: rex http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-62920 rex Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:53:14 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-62920 I feel your frustration. I think we need to move outside our group and begin new conversations. This is a human rights issue, not a new urbanist issue, or a peak oil issue, this is an issue of people being deprived of the right to live. I feel your frustration. I think we need to move outside our group and begin new conversations. This is a human rights issue, not a new urbanist issue, or a peak oil issue, this is an issue of people being deprived of the right to live.

]]> By: bb http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-62917 bb Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:32:37 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-62917 "later told the police that he saw vehicles in traffic ahead of him swerving," The American years of manufactured genocide. "later told the police that he saw vehicles in traffic ahead of him swerving,"

The American years of manufactured genocide.

]]> By: Marty Barfowitz http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-62913 Marty Barfowitz Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:05:31 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-62913 <blockquote>At this point, a car would have to drag thousands upon thousands of people to their deaths in one day for people to wake up.</blockquote> I don't know. Maybe if the car were driven by Osama bin Laden, that might do the trick. Otherwise, I think D.A. Morgenthau is just going to keep on napping. The guy is useless on this issue. So is Ray Kelly. Mayor Bloomberg, hello? Wake up. Do you see what's happening on your city streets? Does it not disgust you? Me and my family have, essentially, zero concern about being killed by a gun on the streets of NYC at this point. If we're going to be harmed by a stranger, we know that the chances are it'll be in some sort of traffic violence. That's our crime concern.

At this point, a car would have to drag thousands upon thousands of people to their deaths in one day for people to wake up.

I don't know. Maybe if the car were driven by Osama bin Laden, that might do the trick. Otherwise, I think D.A. Morgenthau is just going to keep on napping. The guy is useless on this issue. So is Ray Kelly. Mayor Bloomberg, hello? Wake up. Do you see what's happening on your city streets? Does it not disgust you? Me and my family have, essentially, zero concern about being killed by a gun on the streets of NYC at this point. If we're going to be harmed by a stranger, we know that the chances are it'll be in some sort of traffic violence. That's our crime concern.

]]> By: Eric McClure http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-62912 Eric McClure Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:00:22 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-62912 Freedom Rides? Bus Boycotts? March on New York? What do pedestrians and cyclists have to do to start turning the tide against vehicular mayhem, with consequences only for the victims? Freedom Rides? Bus Boycotts? March on New York? What do pedestrians and cyclists have to do to start turning the tide against vehicular mayhem, with consequences only for the victims?

]]> By: t http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-62911 t Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:57:09 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-62911 At this point, a car would have to drag thousands upon thousands of people to their deaths in one day for people to wake up. These incidents, as horrific as they are, barely register as a blip on the radar screen for anyone outside of the blog-reading public, even though most of us here see the sum total of all of these "accidents." The sad truth is that this incident is a two-minute segment on the news for most people, if it's that at all. At this point, a car would have to drag thousands upon thousands of people to their deaths in one day for people to wake up. These incidents, as horrific as they are, barely register as a blip on the radar screen for anyone outside of the blog-reading public, even though most of us here see the sum total of all of these "accidents." The sad truth is that this incident is a two-minute segment on the news for most people, if it's that at all.

]]> By: Rhywun http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/11/pedestrian-dead-after-van-drags-him-17-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-62910 Rhywun Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:50:07 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5448#comment-62910 Um, wow. How much more outrageous are these stories going to get? PS. When my older brother was teaching me how to drive, he told me that it was *my* responsibility to be vigilant at all times because you never know when someone is going to shoot out into the road. Do people even get that message any more? Um, wow. How much more outrageous are these stories going to get?

PS. When my older brother was teaching me how to drive, he told me that it was *my* responsibility to be vigilant at all times because you never know when someone is going to shoot out into the road. Do people even get that message any more?

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