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Ocean Parkway has been a harmful drag the place rushing motorists confirmed little regard for pedestrians — even earlier than wacky wigmaker Miriam Yarimi allegedly mowed down three folks this weekend, locals advised The Publish.
The Brooklyn visitors artery is among the many most harmful roads within the borough, with 20 deaths since 2014 — and activists have lengthy pushed to decrease its velocity restrict and take different security precautions.
Neighborhood mother Sofia Khavin, 36, continuously walks together with her nine-month-old son close to Ocean Parkway’s intersection with Quentin Street, the place Yarimi allegedly plowed into one other lady and her two younger kids.
“We simply occurred to be at a distinct place on Saturday,” she mentioned. “After we realized concerning the accident, we had been horrified. It actually hit shut. I cross there on a regular basis with my child.
“They (drivers) go sooner than 25 mph,” Khavin added. “They run the purple gentle, they make unlawful turns. There aren’t any cameras at this nook.”
The crash unfolded when Yarimi, 32, allegedly rocketed her Audi A4 throughout the intersection and into an Uber.
Yarimi’s luxurious sedan careened into a bunch of pedestrians, together with mother Natasha Saada and her three kids — Diana, 7, Deborah, 5, and 4-year-old Philip. All had been killed however Philip, who stays in vital situation.
The wigmaker — who advised first responders she “had the satan in me,” sources mentioned — is present process a psychiatric analysis earlier than she might be arraigned on costs of manslaughter, criminally negligent murder and assault.
For the reason that crash, advocates and lawmakers have pushed a proposed legislation forcing unhealthy drivers comparable to Yarimi, who had a suspended license and 93 visitors violations, to put in tech on their automobiles that may cease them from going sooner than 5 mph above the velocity restrict.
“If Albany had handed this invoice final 12 months, it might have already saved three lives,” mentioned Ben Furnas, govt director for Transportation Alternate options, a avenue security advocacy group.
However Furnas additionally turned consideration towards Ocean Parkway itself, calling it a “extensive and harmful highway affected by tremendous speeders.”
The 5-mile highway slicing by means of south Brooklyn has lengthy been thought-about treacherous.
Past the 20 visitors fatalities up to now decade, crashes have induced practically 2,400 accidents since 2012, metropolis information exhibits.
In contrast, close by Ocean Avenue noticed seven deaths and 1,710 accidents throughout the identical span, information exhibits.
And notoriously troubled Queens Boulevard — referred to as the “Boulevard of Dying” — noticed 22 killed and practically 3,100 accidents since 2012.
The town’s “Imaginative and prescient Zero” visitors security push did carry some security modifications to Ocean Parkway. These included reducing the velocity to 25 mph a decade in the past and putting in velocity and purple gentle cameras at numerous places, metropolis Division of Transportation officers mentioned.
However the avenue continues to be thought-about the nineteenth most harmful highway in Brooklyn for pedestrians, in accordance with Transportation Alternate options.
Sandy Lee, a supervisor at European Wax Middle close to the current crash, mentioned she’s all the time afraid to drive her three kids alongside the highway due to different motorists rushing.
“They do have numerous velocity cameras however folks decelerate after which sped up once more till they get to the subsequent digital camera,” she mentioned.
“I’m not stunned it occurred however I’m stunned at the way it occurred, so many lives misplaced,” she mentioned concerning the crash. “Fender-bender, operating a purple gentle — I’ve seen. However one thing of this magnitude, it’s very unhappy.”
A cellular NYPD command publish for the reason that crash has been erected close to the intersection, the place visitors cops have been handing out security pamphlets to locals.
And a memorial began by retired trainer Stephanie Benshimol, 46, has sprouted on the base of a close-by tree, the place well-wishers have deposited flowers, balloons and teddy bears.
“There may be continually anyone dying in Ocean Parkway as a result of folks don’t obey the legal guidelines,” Benshimol mentioned.
“I feel 25 (mph) is fairly good, but when they need to decrease it to twenty (mph) on such a busy avenue then maybe they need to,” she mentioned, including, “however a digital camera is only a ticket.”
Mayor Eric Adams, when requested Tuesday about utilizing a brand new legislation to decrease the velocity restrict to twenty mph, signaled openness to the concept.
Metropolis DOT officers, nevertheless, famous different modifications comparable to velocity and purple gentle cameras have to be carried out with New York State’s transportation division, “as Ocean Parkway is a state highway.”
State Sen. Simcha Felder, who lately gained a particular election for a vacant Metropolis Council seat protecting the crash space, had beforehand opposed efforts to decrease the velocity restrict to 25 mph alongside Ocean Parkway.
He even proposed elevating it to 35 mph, the New York Instances reported.
Felder, in a tweet, appeared to dismiss any push for change on the troubled thoroughfare.
“Some have wasted no time utilizing this tragedy as a chance to advance their agenda,” he wrote. “There’s a time to behave—however there may be additionally a time to mourn, to come back collectively in grief, and to supply power and assist to those that want it most.”
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