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Andrea Bronfman, billionaire Charles Bronfman's wife, was killed yesterday morning by a livery cab driver making a left from Fifth Avenue at East 65th Street. The Post reports that Bronfman had been out walking her dog and just "stepped off the curb" when the cab hit her. Her injuries included pelvic injuries, a lacerated liver and broken ribs, plus internal bleeding, and Bronfman died at New York Hospital. Bronfman was active in numerous charities, including founding Gift of New York for September 11 victims' families and Jewish charities; her husband's father founded the Seagram company. Police did not give the driver a summons, but they are looking into the matter - remember, yesterday morning was very rainy.
The Toronto Globe and Mail's remembered Bronfman.
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There are no protections in this city for pedestrians. All the justice for pedestrian deaths does nothing to prevent them in the first place. It's outrageous.
We need motorist-prompting "yield to pedestrian" signs. Studies show they help!
http://www.bayareatrafficsignals.org/toolbox/Tools/MotPmtSign.html
If she had been killed by a cyclist, there would be 50 comments on this post by now.
The husband got off, wow he must be psyched. Instead of hiring a hitman,it didn't have to do shit! What luck. Now he can get a new & younger honey instead of trading her in after a costly divorce.
How's the dog?
why should the driver be deported? i didn't see anything about his status in the country.
The dog lived.
It's hard to feel sympathy for anyone rich enough to live at CP/5th Ave. Bitch probably thought she owned the streets. Too bad so sad. I'm glad the dog lived, and I hope the driver doesn't get sent back to Pakistan.
Sure drivers in this city are nuts. And people cross the street when they shouldn't. The article didn't have enough info to know who was at fault - maybe they both were, maybe mother nature.
But rich bitch? And pakistani driver? What a bunch of racist, classist, sexist, elitest (take your pick) bull-shit.
Not to go all Sesame Street, but for crying out loud! these are people - someone's wife, someone's mother, someone's husband, someone's son...and thankfully, not you.
It wouldn't hurt to have some compassion or pay more attention when 1) crossing the street or 2) driving in a city of 8 million people.
You think with all these articles about pedestrians being killed Gothamist might have some helpful info about pedestrian safety, but no such luck.
NYC is actually one of the most dangerous cities in the country for pedestrians and has one of the least progressive approaches to pedestrian safety.
According to Transportation Alternatives, "Almost every day a pedestrian is killed by a car in New York and 35 a day are sent to the hospital."
Broken sidewalks, speeding traffic, faded crosswalks, and other pedestrian hazards get attention only when you report them and hold authorities accountable. Take action by emailing the agencies and people responsible for building, enforcing, and repairing our pedestrian environment.
Pedestrian Tips!
1) Walk on sidewalks. If sidewalks are not available, walk on the edge of the road or on the left shoulder of the road, facing the traffic flow. Use pedestrian bridges when they are available.
2) Cross at marked crosswalks or intersections. Pedestrians are most often hit by cars when they cross the road at places other than intersections.
3) Look left, right, and left for traffic. Stop at the curb and look left, right, and left again for traffic. Stopping at the curb signals drivers that you intend to cross. Always obey traffic signals.
4) See and be seen. Drivers need to see you to avoid you.
Stay out of the driver's blind spot.
Make eye contact with drivers when crossing busy streets.
Wear bright colors or reflective clothing if you are walking near traffic at night.
Carry a flashlight when walking in the dark.
Do not let kids play near traffic or cross the street by themselves.
In bad weather, take care that your umbrella or raincoat does not prevent approaching vehicles from seeing you.
5) Watch your kids. Small children should not cross streets by themselves or be allowed to play or walk near traffic. Kids cannot accurately judge vehicle distances and speeds and may make upredictable movements.
6)Drinking and walking? Alcohol can impair the judgement and motor skills of pedestrians just as it does for drivers. Don't take alcohol risks with walking, just as you would not with driving. Take the bus, take a cab, or have a friend drive you home. Beware of the effects of perscription and non-prescription medications and drugs, too.
8) Obey traffic signals. At intersections where traffic is controlled by signals or a traffic officer, pedestrians must obey the signal and not cross against the stop signal unless specifically directed to go by a traffic officer.
Here are some good resources:
PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Traffic Safety Programs
400 Seventh Street, SW
Washington, DC 20590
Phone: (202) 662-0600
www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/ped
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
1301 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20004
Phone: (202) 662-0600
Fax: (202) 393-2072
www.safekids.org
www.walkinginfo.org
National Center for
Bicycling and Walking
Campaign to Make
America Walkable
1506 21st Street, NW
Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (800) 760-NBPC
www.bikefed.org
But we have time to arrest people in their boxers.
Wow! How's this for a F*cked-up comment:
"It's hard to feel sympathy for anyone rich enough to live at CP/5th Ave. Bitch probably thought she owned the streets. Too bad so sad. I'm glad the dog lived, and I hope the driver doesn't get sent back to Pakistan."
Hard to feel sympathy for anyone rich??? My head is reeling. The woman was walkign her dog for chrissake, not OPPRESSING people. SHEESH!
I hope the f*cker goes STRAIGHT back to Pakistan!
I'm going to say it...the reason I'm SO careful about walking these streets (and don't cycle) is because I don't trust ANY of the drivers in the 5 bouroughs. Let's just say that, while a melting pot is great culturally, many countries don't have...shall we say...consistent rules of the road as far as driving. The "crazy foreign driver" stereotype is valid for a reason.
I was crossing Lexington and 34th St. at about 5:30am last week in the marked crosswalk with the green pedestrian signal. Nonetheless, a garbage truck just barreled through his left turn and I had to dive out of the way to avoid being roadkill, but still got clipped by the truck's right fender. This wasn't about blind spots, or speeding, or walking unawares. It was a case of a driver simply not caring whether there might be a pedestrian crossing in a crosswalk. I have no doubt that if I had been killed that morning, the driver would've gotten off scot free with the "I-didn't-see-him" defense. Well, you can't see anybody if you're not looking for them. I think the suggestion of prominent Yield To Pedestrians signs is a great idea. Either that or prevent simultaneous green pedestrian and traffic lights. That sounds like what was responsible for the Bronfman woman's death. She had the green and tried to cross 5th Ave. The driver had the green and mowed her down because he didn't yield.