Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. today announced the indictment of JAIME SABOGAL, 60, for striking two pedestrians in a crosswalk with his pick-up truck in East Harlem, killing 3-year-old Bertin DeJesus and injuring his mother, while driving with a suspended license.
“Our laws are fundamentally broken when it takes the death of a fellow New Yorker to get a driver with a history of reckless conduct off the road, as is demonstrated in this case,” said District Attorney Vance.
“We’re here today at a moment in time when, overall, our City and State have never been safer. But at this moment when other types of crime are dropping to historic lows across New York, we are experiencing an epidemic of vehicular violence that has killed 28 of our Manhattan neighbors year-to-date, and injured thousands more. A New Yorker today is more likely to be killed by a car than with a knife or a gun.”
The bill was the result of a recommendation by a grand jury established by Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance earlier this year. The group spoke with victims of traffic violence, transportation officials and advocacy groups.
“Today, we are announcing a bill which fixes laws that are fundamentally broken, so that more drivers who injure or kill can be held accountable. The Vehicular Violence Accountability Act is our effort to make sure that on the criminal justice side, we are doing all that we can to support survivors and ensure that dangerous drivers face accountability.”
