4 Year Old Dies After Being Hit By Hummer

A 4 year old boy walking home from day care with his aunt was hit by a Hummer yesterday afternoon at Third Avenue and Baltic Street in Brooklyn. James Jacaricce died at Methodist Hospital; his aunt Ta-Nayin St. John had a shoulder injury. The incident was not a hit-and-run - the driver stayed, gave a Breathalyzer, and was found sober.

Both the driver, Ken Williams, and St. John and Jacaricce had the green light, and Williams hit them when he was turning onto Baltic from Third. However, Williams was driving a Hummer, and a police source told the Daily News, "The guy didn't realize he hit them because the vehicle rides very high." Why anyone needs to be driving such a huge SUV, we have no idea. Williams, who witnesses says was sobbing over the accident, was given a ticket for failing to yield to pedestrians.

The Daily News also notes that an iPod belonging to St. John was also found at the scene: "However, it was unclear if she had been listening to the music player at the time she and her nephew were hit." Kruger, take note: Fine people for driving oversized cars and SUVs before fining iPod usage.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on February 14, 2007 8:26 AM

Comments [rss]

Jim N.

The Edge: Maybe next time before you "go there" you should read the article. They weren't jaywalking.

samiam

See what I mean?

robin.g

I see huge SUVs struggling to pull in and out of city gas stations and parking lots that are too small for them to fit comfortably. It takes them 5 minutes to maneuver around each other to leave the gas pump. Maybe it's their "right" to drive these things but why in the city where everything is so cramped? Wouldn't a smaller minivan or regular sedan just make more SENSE? SUVs are for hauling things and driving in the country or the woods.

samiam

Gwin:

Take a look at the comments on this thread. Most of them just bitch about how "offensive" SUVs are.

Do you really think that the SUV is the problem here? In this situation, if a camry or a taurus had hit the child, don't you think that the difference in his odds for survival would be negligible?

On a different note, I have a hard time believing that the driver is not going to face subsequent consequences. Having the green light does not mean that he can drive through a crosswalk with people in it...right?

The Edge

Or maybe people oughta be a little more careful before jaywalking.

Oh snap, I went there.

Tim N.

Oldsk: I know it's futile, but I'm fighting that fact you mention as best I can.

And Brightliner is dead right. Unless you're hauling personnel or materiel through Fallujah, you drive a car like that for ego gratification only. And if your ego gratification is killing others, especially those weaker and/or poorer than you, it's time to find another outlet. Hookers, maybe, or internet porn.

Or maybe just buy a damn fine overcoat... AND WALK.

left turner

yes, taking left turns with oncoming traffic is a serious problem. looking at oncoming cars rather than peds and CYCLISTS (who happen to be oncoming too) leads to many accidents, close calls, and jangled nerves.

i have a really brilliant suggestion: how about drivers showing little patience and waiting until there are no threats anywhere!!! oh, sorry maybe, just maybe, you will be an hour and half late to wherever as opposed to only an hour and 25 mins! sheesh!

Brightliner

Why anyone needs to be driving such a huge SUV, we have no idea.

Oh, come on, Jen. You're not that naive. You have every idea. It's all about being seen as the biggest, the baddest, the richest, especially in NYC, the conceit capital of the east coast, if not the country. Ideally, you'd want to be seen alone in the back seat while a uniformed chauffer drives so everyone knows you can not only afford to burn gas like there's no tomorrow just to move one person around, you can also afford to pay someone to do that for you.

Two double posts in this thread already. Looks like the Gothamist comments system is as working as well as always, with posts not showing up for up to 15 minutes in pb's case. But error logs are for geeks, right? Street art rulz!

Gwinny

samiam: way to oversimplify. People are whining about SUVs because more often than not, THEY are the ones running down and killing pedestrians and cyclists.

(hopefully this isn't a double post)

Gwinny

samiam: way to oversimplify. People are whining about SUVs BECAUSE they seem to be responsible for so many pedestrian/cyclist deaths.

samiam

This article should be about a 4 year old dying. Instead, it's about SUVs and how some new yorkers can't resist the urge to whine about them. Maybe you people should get your heads checked.

pb

Absolutely, Robb. I couldn't agree more.

pb

Absolutely, Robb. I couldn't agree more.

OldSk

Didn't you hear, Tim N? NYC are the new Burbs.

robb

Personally, I think that if you take a life with your car and are found at fault I think the following should happen:

* Your forfeit your car.

* You are automatically charged with involuntary manslaughter

* Your license is suspended for 5 years with allowances only for getting to and from work.

Too harsh? No way. Driving is serious business and I gotta tell you, not very many people are taking things seriously.

I heard one time that the line between chaos and society is the line between people always thinking about the threat that the world poses them and the people who have concern about the threat they pose to the world. Brooklyn drivers are 80% the former and it is frightening.

Tim N.

Great points, WT and g.

I've also noticed an alarming amount of drivers making rights on reds lately. Most, obviously, from out of town, where it is legal to do so, but something should be done to tell them they're not in the 'burbs anymore.

big cars pay up

Big cars should pay a tax to be in the City.

I remember seeing an escalade in Hell's kitchen 10th ave driven by a tiny woman. She was trying to park it and was getting cues from two guys outside the car. What I noticed on this giant car were some scratches on the driver side door.

Lenny

How is it that a driver can KILL someone by failing to yield, and be let off with a TICKET? It's outrageous.

pb

When is this city going to reclaim sidewalks for pedestrians and get serious about punishing selfish drivers who insist on turning left and ploughing over pedestrians?

This guy killed a kid because he was too selfish to stop. And driving a Hummer in NYC. I mean that says it all...

steveo

So he was summonsed for failing to yield to pedestrians, and killed someone. That's obviously criminally negligent homicide (at least), right? Right? Helloooo, Mr. or Ms. DA -- right?