A Bronx Tragedy

It's been a heartbreaking week for Rafael Sanz. His pregnant wife, traffic agent Donnette Sanz, was hit by an out-of-control van and was pinned under a school bus on a Bronx street. She died, but doctors delivered their 2-months premature baby boy. Unfortunately, the baby lost his fight a week later and Sanz told the Daily News that doctors weren't optimistic, so he took the baby off the respirator "to end his pain." Donnette Sanz's funeral was planned for tomorrow; the widower will now bury his son with his wife. He said, "I loved the baby for the one week that I had him. But one week was not enough... I think he will be okay with his mother. That's the only comfort that I find.." And NY1 reports that charges against the van's driver, who is an unlicensed ex-con and charged with criminally negligent homicide, may be upgraded.

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By Jen Chung in News on August 24, 2008 11:24 AM

Comments [rss]

WorksInDUMBO

The whole thing is tragic.

NannyState

Old people are always killing others with their cars and it's always "I thought it was the brake pedal" or "I got scared and couldn't stop". And you know this 72 year old bastard who was too cheap to fix his brakes will avoid jail because of a "medical condition" or "he's suffered enough". Execute this asshole: put him into the Electric Wheelchair.

maevemealone

His brakes had been out for 2 weeks and he did nothing. It's just heartbreaking all around, this didn't need to happen.

Jen Chung

The driver claimed the brakes failed but I think investigators were saying that the van's brakes were so far gone that he would have heard the grinding or something--and should not have been driving the vehicle.

Public Relations

The driver of that van was 72 and was allegedly driving without a license.

So he will probably die in prison if the charges are upgraded to manslaughter from criminally negligent homicide.

Even if it was completely a mechanical failure in the van - if he had a license, he might not have been criminally liable.