An 18-year-old girl died early Friday morning when she was a passenger in a dramatic car accident in Brooklyn Heights (NYC).
The tragedy happened when the driver of a luxury speeding black Mercedes Benz ran a red light around 3:30 am and crashed a 2019 Honda Accord at the corner of Atlantic Ave. and Court St. tried to escape on foot from the scene, the New York police said.
The unidentified fatality was in the passenger seat of the Honda with another woman and a man. Paramedics took everyone to New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital where the teen died. The 32-year-old woman driving and a 29-year-old man in the rear passenger seat were expected to survive.
The Honda spun out of control before crashing into the corner just outside Trader Joe’s supermarket. “After a minute, the (Mercedes) caught fire,” said to Daily News the witness Murat Sonkya.
The accident left both cars totaled.. The 25-year-old man driving the Mercedes Benz managed to get out of the burning luxury car and flee on foot, but was arrested a short time later. He was carrying a woman as a passenger.
Charges against the driver who fled the scene were pending. All charges are mere accusations and those charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
In addition to armed violence, traffic accidents are another great challenge for Mayor Eric Adams. This despite “Vision Zero” (Vision Zero), traffic safety plan created in 2014 by then-new mayor Bill de Blasio, who promised to make the city safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists with a goal of zero deaths by 2024. According to the NYPD, cyclist deaths increased 260% in the first six months of 2023 and 325% since the implementation of the “Vision Zero” plan in 2014. In many cases the drivers flee.
The New York authorities recall that there is zero tolerance for drivers who speed and/or drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs..
