Reckless Driving to Blame for the Most Recent Death on Staten Island?
.jpg)
Staten Islander's awoke this morning to the tragic news of another fatal accident on Hylan Boulevard. A woman was killed when the mini-van she was riding in (it's not yet clear if she was the driver or a passenger) flipped over after colliding with a late model BMW 745i. The woman, Nadwa Fayad, was apparently ejected from the mini-van, which then rolled over on top of her. The mini-van was making a left turn from Hylan Boulevard onto Stueben Street when the accident happened. The 27-year old driver of the BMW and the other occupants of the mini-van were taken to the hospital with non-life threating injuries.
As I have blogged about numerous times, please always wear your seatbelt, no matter where you are sitting in the car. Almost 40,000 people are killed each year on the nation's roads, about 1/2 of which may be preventable if seat belts were worn. From 1975 - 2007, seatbelt use has saved the lives of over 240,000 people. Seatbelts save lives - its no longer open for debate. Buckling up should be as routine as starting the car before driving.
I tell jurors all the time not to "pre-judge" the case before they hear all the facts. but in this case, it's hard not to pre-judge. We have a young driver, in a very expensive car, with at least 325 horsepower, on Hylan Boulevard, a street more akin to a highway than a "Boulevard." We are all going to think that the BMW was speeding, and that the driver of the mini-van saw him too late. The high rate of speed made it impossible for anyone to avoid the impact.
Last year, this same intersection claimed the life of another Staten Island resident. In fact, residents have labeled this intersection as dangerous and suggest putting in a dedicated left-turning lane. The all too frequent accidents on Staten Island have lead some residents to start their own facebook page, Hylan Boulevard - Staten Island Death Trap, in an effort to help stop the frequent accidents on Staten Island's "Boulevard of Death." Please, we all need to slow down and be aware of what is going on around us. We all drive in a world of too many distractions, causing driver's to lose their focus for a precious few seconds, which can be the difference between avoiding an accident or ending up in tragedy. This Island is over-crowded with too many cars and too many people. This is a combination that all too often results in accidents. Staten Island is no longer a piece of the country like many native residents felt it was. The overall attitude about driving needs to change - its not acceptable to run a red light or speed along Hylan Boulevard, no matter what time it is. There are only so many police officers to go around - the change needs to come from within.
