Ovidio Jaramillo se convirtió en la más reciente víctima mortal de un auto que atropella y cuyo conductor se da a la fuga. Ocurrió el martes 8 de diciembre en la noche en la intersección de Northern y Junction Boulevards, en Jackson Heights, Queens.
“Es una arteria de doble vía que la ciudad de Nueva York debe mejorar para el beneficio de los peatones, instalando cámaras para vigilar la velocidad de los vehículos e instruyendo a los ciudadanos con campañas de seguridad vial”, dijo el senador estatal José Peralta.
En esta ciudad el número de muertes de peatones se ha reducido en 4%, de 125 muertes en el 2014 a 120 muertes el año pasado. En parte esta disminución se debe a la campaña ‘Vision Zero’ que buscar reducir a cero el número de muertes de accidentes de auto en un período de 10 años.
Jaramillo, de 17 años, fue atropellado el martes a las 10:51 de la noche cuando salía de una funeraria y se dirigía a su casa. Murió en el Hospital Elmhurst luego que un carro Toyoca Camry de color negro lo atropelló y no se detuvo. El conductor no ha sido arrestado. “Estamos totalmente devastados por su muerte”, dijo su abuela Laura Valle.
El primero de octubre de este año murió también Charlie Velásquez, hijo del empresario Carlos Velásquez, quien fue atropellado por un auto en Long Island. La conductora, Melissa McKiski, se dio a la fuga, pero fue arrestada esa misma madrugada. Ahora la familia de Carlos Velásquez está tratando de pasar una legislación para aumentar la penalidad contra los conductores que atropellan y se dan a la fuga en el estado de Nueva York.
“La mujer que mató a mi hijo, que conducía borracha, puede ser hallada culpable de un delito menor y pasar unos pocos días en la cárcel, teniendo en cuenta que se fugó de la escena del accidente”, dijo Carlos Velásquez. “Es algo inaudito”.
Este es el documento que busca enmendar la ley de ‘hit & run’ y que usted puede firmar y enviar a los políticos aquí mencionados:
The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
The Honorable Carl E. Heastie
Assembly Speaker
1446 East Gun Hill Road
Bronx, NY 10469
The Honorable John Flanagan
Senate Majority Leader
260 Middle Country Road Suite 102
Smithtown, NY 11787
July 17, 2015
Dear Governor Cuomo, Speaker Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Flanagan:
I support changing S4747/A5266 (Aggravated Leaving the Scene) to make the penalties equal to most DWI assaults and homicides. If all drivers know they will face the same level of criminal charges if they run, then maybe even the DWI drivers will stay.
I support this change because (personal basis: maybe a connection to a hit and run case or a desire to advocate for justice on behalf of another, etc.)
I understand the legislature was trying to do something about hit and runs when they passed this new law. But I am asking the Governor to work with them to fix the law before he signs it. We needed the crime of leaving the scene of an incident with serious injury to be raised from an E felony to a D and a fatal
leaving the scene charge to be raised from a D felony to a C without all of the restrictions that are in S4747/A5266. The C felony needs to apply to fatal hit and runs where only one person is killed and the driver leaves. This is the only way for the law to stop giving DWI drivers a benefit for leaving.
Right now I understand that the penalties for DWI assaults and homicides can be much higher than for leaving the scene. Why would a driver stay? Especially if the driver knew he or she had been drinking or using drugs. They get to hide the evidence of their DWI and, if they are ever caught, they face lower charges. I am asking you to fix this obvious injustice.
The new law doesn’t make it a C felony to leave the scene of a fatal crash. Instead it only applies when a driver:
- Leaves the scene, violating VTL 600(2)(a)
- AND causes the death or serious injury of more than one person
- AND the death or injury is caused by the driver’s reckless driving under VTL 1212
- AND the driver is suspended or revoked due to impaired or intoxicated driving under VTL 1192 or a prior leaving the scene
- OR the driver has a prior leaving the scene or impaired/intoxicated driving violation in the last 10 years.
Please change this law and just rnake it a C felony to leave the scene of a fatal crash and a D felony to leave when there has been serious injury. Too rnany people have already suffered because of drivers who leave and prevent full investigations. It is long overdue anda rnatter of cornrnon sense.
Sincerely, (Your name here)
Esta carta fue enviada por Karliz, hermana de Charlie Velásquez,
antes de la muerte de Ovidio Jaramillo
después que un auto lo atropella y su conductor se fuga.
Today, all I want is to share the following information and if anyone is interested in supporting the chapter amendment for hit and run legislation please email me: karlizvelasquez7@gmail.com. This is not just for my brother, it won’t change anything for him, but for the future victims who deserve justice for their loved ones.
(thanks for reading/time and Deadline December 11th):
The hit and run legislation (S4747/A5266) that we currently have isn’t protecting victims and not seeking rightful justice for the crime being committed. Through a chapter amendment to include crashes where only one person was killed or seriously injured and to remove the other restrictions we can find the justice that victims and their families should deserve. The legislation needs to provide relief to victims by giving judges stronger options when it is appropriate. The penalties for leaving the scene of an incident have remained the same for years. As a result, the unintended consequence has been that the lesser charges and penalties for leaving the scene may serve to encourage drunk drivers to leave rather than face the investigation of the crash. Currently, leaving the scene of an incident with serious injury is an E felony. It needs to be elevated to a D felony. Likewise, a fatal incident is currently a D felony, which needs to be elevated to a C felony to remove the possible benefit of fleeing for DWI drivers. The legislation that passed does not make these needed changes. I understand that the legislation was passed in an effort to do “something” but it now needs to be changed to do the right thing.
If anyone is interested in writing and email to :
The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State NYS State Capitol Building Albany, NY 12224
email: gov.cuomo@chamber.state.ny.us
The Honorable Carl E. Heastie Assembly Speaker 1446 East Gun Hill Road Bronx, NY 10469
Speaker@assembly.state.ny.us
Possibly also: heastic@assembly.state.ny.us
The Honorable John Flanagan Senate Majority Leader 260 Middle Country Road Suite 102 Smithtown, NY 11787
flanagan@nysenate.gov
I have a letter Template from District Attorneys Office of Nassau County you can just read and use to support and email to the above offices.
Thank you, Karliz Velásquez
STATEMENT BY
NYC COUNCIL MEMBER DANIEL DROMM
ON DEATH OF JAREMELLO OVIDIO, CAUSED BY HIT-AND-RUN DRIVER ON NORTHERN BOULEVARD BY JUNCTION BOULEVARD IN JACKSON HEIGHTS:
“I am deeply saddened by the death of 17-year-old Ovidio Jaramillo who was killed by a hit-and-run driver on Northern Boulevard by Junction Boulevard last night,” said NYC Council Member Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights, Elmhurst). “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ovidio family. I will continue to do all that I can to improve traffic conditions and pedestrian safety in our community. I urge anyone with information on this horrible incident to come forward and report it to the police immediately.”
Senator Jose Peralta calls for additional measures to improve street safety along Northern Boulevard
State Senator Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) urged the City’s Department of Transportation (DOT) to take steps to improve road and pedestrian safety in and around the intersection of Northern Boulevard and Junction Boulevard in Queens. Senator Peralta noted that, in light of Tuesday’s hit-and-run accident that killed a 17-year-old teenager, the City must implement additional safety measures, including the installation of more speed cameras in busy intersections along Northern Boulevard and the launch of a public campaign to educate the public about additional dangers they may face as pedestrians.
Senator Peralta, along with elected officials, community leaders and advocates called upon
the hit-and-run driver to turn him/herself in.
Senator Peralta announced that he introduced legislation mandating that the DOT create a public awareness campaign relative to the dangers of being a distracted pedestrian (S.6266). Similar educational initiatives, such as Governor Andrew Cuomo’s ‘Don’t Text and Drive’ campaign, were aimed at alerting motor vehicle operators about the increased likelihood of traffic accidents due to distracted driving.
“The DOT is the City’s expert on road and street safety, so they are best fit to orchestrate this public awareness campaign, so long as New Yorkers in all five boroughs get the message that distracted walking is unsafe walking,” said Senator Peralta. “We can’t always protect the public against reckless drivers and their bad decisions, but we must ensure that we all work together to reduce the odds of pedestrians falling victim to unsafe motorists.”
Senator Peralta further urged the DOT to take action along Northern Boulevard by installing additional speed cameras. Northern Boulevard is a very busy corridor that cuts across the Borough. Under the City’s Vision Zero Plan, the stretch of Northern Boulevard from 114th Street to 40th Road is now an ‘arterial slow zone,’ an action that reduced the local speed limit on the thoroughfare from 30 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour.
“We must take all steps necessary to ensure that tragedies like this don’t happen again,” added Senator Peralta. “I am very saddened about the hit-and-run that left Ovidio Jesús Jaramillo dead and his family completely devastated. As the parent of a teenager, I find the incident particularly horrifying. My thoughts and prayers are with Ovidio’s family.”
Ovidio Jesús Jaramillo was killed when he entered a crosswalk at the intersection of Northern and Junction Boulevards, and was hit by the driver of a black Toyota Camry at approximately 10:50 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 8th. In 2013, 3-year-old Jahir Figueroa was killed after being hit by a car in the same intersection.
According to the New York City Police Department, this year there have been 25 accidents in this intersection that left one person dead and eight injured. Between 2012 and 2015, the intersection was the scene of more than one hundred accidents that resulted in tow people dead and more than 30 injured.
“Unfortunately, this heavily trafficked intersection is again the scene of a serious accident,” said Senator Peralta. “I urge the driver of car involved to turn him or herself in to the Police at once. If the public has any information regarding the hit-and-run, please let the authorities know. As always, if you see something, say something.”
“I am saddened and heartbroken to learn of the tragedy that took place when young Ovidio Jaramillo was fatally struck by a vehicle on Northern Boulevard,” said Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx). “As I join the rest of the community in expressing our deepest sympathies with Ovidio’s family, it’s important that we also honor his memory by doing all we can to make sure our streets are safer to cross and that reckless and irresponsible drivers are kept off our roads. I thank Senator Jose Peralta and all of the advocates for their commitment to keeping pedestrian safety a top priority in our community.”
“My condolences to the family of the young man that was killed. I have been saying for years now the city of New York must change the lighting system so that when pedestrians are crossing the street all cars should have red lights and be fully stopped,” said Assemblymember Michael DenDekker (D-East Elmhurst). “As for the driver, I suggest you turn yourself immediately, otherwise when you are caught, and you will be caught, this community will encourage that you are sentenced to the maximum allowed under current law. Senator Peralta and my Assembly Colleagues will continually work to make our streets safer but we more help from the City.”
“Ovidio Jaramillo should not have lost his life,” said Assemblymember Francisco Moya (D-Jackson Heights). “It is in his name that we will fight for safer streets. It is my hope that the hit-and-run driver who caused Mr. Jaramillo’s death is found and that he is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Traffic-related deaths are avoidable. It’s time for our streets to be safe for all New Yorkers—pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists alike. As a strong supporter of Vision Zero, I have worked in Albany to bring more speed cameras to our streets and championed a reduced speed limit. I believe that safety must come first, so that no more lives are lost because of reckless drivers.”
Councilmember Julissa Ferreras-Copeland (D-East Elmhurst) noted, “I urge residents of Corona and Jackson Heights to be conscience of the speed limit as they drive on Northern Blvd and anywhere. Now more than ever, I ask this community to join me as I work with the Department of Transportation and NYPD to improve the safety of pedestrians, cyclist and drivers in our district. My heart goes out to Jaramillo’s mother and grandmother. I can’t imagine what it must be like to lose your only child.”
“The death of Ovidio Jesus Jaramillo is a terrible tragedy that reminds us that the improvement of traffic safety must continue to be a top priority for our City,” said Queens Borough President Melinda Katz. “Too many of our City’s residents die needlessly on our streets and we must do more to prevent future fatalities.”
“At Make Queens Safer our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Ovidio Jaramillo, a teenager killed by a driver who then fled the scene of the crime. It is a horror and a outrage to leave a human being, in this case a high school student, on the street in this cowardly and cold-blooded fashion. Perhaps, had the driver who killed the boy stopped and immediately called 911, Ovidio Jaramillo would have survived,” said Laura Newman, founding member of Make Queens Safer. “We call for law enforcement to pursue traffic crimes, and particularly traffic killings, with the same justice-driven mission they employ when fighting other forms of violence in the community. A hit and run killing is a crime. A hit and run killer is a criminal. Traffic enforcement is law enforcement.”
“We hope that police will soon apprehend the driver who killed 17-year-old Ovidio Jaramillo and left the scene, so that Queens District Attorney Richard Brown can charge that driver to the full extent of the law,” said Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. “We renew our call on Mayor de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Bratton to come up with an action plan to deter the scourge of hit-and-run, which is widespread but almost never prosecuted.”