Happy New Year from Assembly Member Kellner
December 29, 2010
As 2010 draws to a close, I want to wish you and yours the best of holiday seasons and a happy and healthy new year. It is an honor to represent you in the New York State Assembly, and I look forward to another year of fighting on behalf of the East Side and Roosevelt Island. As always, if there is any way I can be of service to you, please do not hesitate to contact my office at (212) 860-4906. Happy holidays!
Kellner to Manhattan DA: Enforce Elle’s Law
December 10, 2010
Early Tuesday morning, 21-year-old student Jason King was struck and killed by a dump truck that was illegally backing up the wrong way, as he was crossing Madison Avenue near 81st Street. When my office contacted the Community Affairs Department at the 19th Precinct, I was upset to learn that the driver of this truck was issued a summons for unsafe backing up, but was not charged with any crime and no further action has been taken.
As the author of Elle’s Law and a supporter of the Hayley Ng and Diego Martinez Law, I am greatly concerned that neither of these important pedestrian-protection laws has apparently been enforced in this incident. Hayley and Diego’s Law imposes fines or imprisonment on drivers who carelessly injure pedestrians. Under Elle’s Law, any driver who causes serious physical injury to another person while committing a traffic violation will have his or her license suspended for a period of six months. Drivers who have been involved in any similar incidents within the previous five years will have their licenses suspended for a full year.
Incidents like this one are precisely why we in the New York State legislature passed Hayley and Diego’s Law and Elle’s Law. These laws are on the books for law enforcement agencies to use as tools to punish reckless driving and remove dangerous drivers from the road. While the driver’s actions may not rise to the level of manslaughter, it is certainly clear that his negligence warrants further punishment than a summons. On Wednesday, I called on New York District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly to use all available legal tools, including Elle’s Law and Hayley and Diego’s Law, to bring this driver to justice, and to ensure that he and future reckless drivers are prevented from causing further harm.
A copy of my letter to District Attorney Vance and Commissioner Kelly is below.
12.8.10 Letter to DA Regarding 81st Street Accident
- @hilary_keller I'm so glad your interns are getting this great life experience
10 hours ago from webRT @MicahKellner: Showing #Gasland Tonight at @lenoxhilll's #EinhornAuditorium @ 7pm-to RSVP call my office @ 212-860-4906 or click http://t.co/0vhvoBvh
1 day ago from web
