A 13 year old boy named Kevin Flores was recently killed by an unlicensed oil truck driver at the intersection of Jefferson Ave and Lewis Ave.
The police found that not only was Philip Monfoletto driving with a suspended license, it was the seventh time that Monfoletto’s license had been suspended. Additionally, Monfoletto had been arrested several times in the past including another instance of driving with a suspended license.
In a press conference, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and City Council members Antonio Reynoso and Robert Cornegy Jr. called for tougher criminal penalties for unlicensed drivers and the companies that hire them. In New York, drivers who are busted with a suspended license receive a fine of $450 if it is the first time, $750 if it is the second time and $1,500 if it is the third time. Currently, it is only a felony for drivers if they have 10 suspensions on their licenses.
According to Adams these laws are just a complete mockery. “This was a senseless act that should not have happened and could have been prevented,” Adams said as he as stood on the corner of Lewis and Jefferson Aves. in Bedford-Stuyvesant where the crash occurred. “And it is imperative that we look forward to solving and preventing these vehicle crashes when lives are lost and families are traumatized,” he added.
Adams was also joined by City Council members Antonio Reynoso and Robert Cornegy Jr., who represents the area.,/
“As a community we mourn with you,” Cornegy said. “I want to send a clear message: These are not streets populated by criminals. These are streets that families, and young children, traverse on.”
Monfoletto was eventually charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of his truck in the deadly crash.
Although the de Blasio administration has launched an ambitious street safety plan dubbed “Vision Zero,” it’s had mixed results so far.
The total number of people killed in traffic crashes dropped to a new low of 214 deaths in 2017, records show. However, there were 23 cyclist deaths over that same period, nearly double the number of those who died in 2013.
Adams and others urged Mayor de Blasio and the City Council to explore regulatory actions to change the setup. They also pushed state lawmakers to increase penalties for those busted driving with a suspended license.
NY Daily News Article:
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/brooklyn-pol-stiffer-penalties-unlicensed-drivers-article-1.3784319