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The parents of a 10-year-old Bronx boy who was killed by an allegedly speeding van while riding his bike are suing the city for $10 million for failing to install a speed bump. 10-year-old Michael Needham was riding his bike with friends outside the Allerton Library after school on June 5th, 2008 when the van struck him; he died after 19 days in a coma. The suit, filed Tuesday in Bronx Supreme Court, argues that the city should have known that drivers near the Allerton Library "regularly exceeded the speed limit, failed to obey stop signs, raced to make traffic lights and otherwise operated their vehicles in dangerous and unlawful manners."
In addition, Michael's parents are suing the Fire Department and Emergency Medical Service for $10 million for their "careless, reckless and negligent" response to the accident. They're also suing the car's owner and driver for another $10 million. Michael's father tells YourNabe, "The fact is, I lost a son because we didn’t have a speed hump there and I don’t want any other family to go through this. I don’t want this for my worst enemy."
Meanwhile, in Chinatown today, City Councilman Alan Gerson is holding a rally to denounce "dangerous conditions" caused by bike safety—the controversial Grand Street Bike lane, hated by drivers and business owners, loved by cyclists (and, unfortunately, pedestrians who think it's a footpath). Gerson is demanding that the DOT conduct more community outreach before deciding where to place bike lanes. Streetsblog scoffs, "Given that the bike lane was vetted by Community Board 2, which approved the project in a nearly unanimous vote last year, isn't this more like a demand to give small, vocal groups veto power over street safety projects?"
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You didn't lose a son because of a lack of speedbump. You lost a son because people suck at driving. Thanks for trying to steal our tax dollars.
OWP!-now they're gonna sue you too.
I wonder when you lose someone if you would care for such a brutal comment. shame
Ya know Felix this may come as a shock to someone who doesn't understand the English language but I actually *have* lost people. My God! Yet I carry on every single day, without having needed any of my fellow taxpayers' dollars to sustain me. However do I do it? One day at a time my friend. One day at a time.
This makes me angry. We will all have to pay for this with OUR tax dollars. Where is the outrage and accountability??
HELLO, YOU ARE LIVING OF OUR TAXPAYERS MONEY WITH YOUR WORKER COMP FRAUD. DAMN, ARE ALL MTA WORKERS RETARDS?
they could have already spent those tax dollars building bike lanes and speed bumps, but they didn't. and a kid died now. use it, or lose it, some would say.
I am for any legal action that creates an incentive for the city to crackdown on speeding in residential areas. It's a really serious problem throughout the city and very little is done about it.
As for the anti-bike lane rally, it's extremely disappointing to see so many candidates in the first district pandering to a small minority of drivers and businesses for a few extra votes.
I agree fully. I'm sorry that they lost their son but it's not the responsibility of the city government to keep track of where people choose to speed. Sue the driver Ok but the city does not sound at fault.
I feel bad for this family, however on the upper right of this website is a link to the cab that smashed through just about everything at the W 72nd Street subway stationhouse. A curb and steel railings couldn't make it crashproof. So, it's doubtful the city could have made the street absolutely safe for children.
Per the Grand Street bike lane: this is just a political ploy by Gerson to get his face in the news as the next election approaches. It is a poorly designed bike lane (some cyclists would agree), but as noted above, it was approved by CB2.
Voters should also ask Gerson why the renovation of nearby Petrosino Square Park is a year behind schedule? But that topic will not get as much media attention...
The suit by the parents of the dead 10-year-old might not have all the proper merits, but I think it's a reaction to the City's indifferent attitude towards reckless driving, and the innumberable deaths and injuries caused by drivers, who are rarely held accountable.
Cool, another ghost bike to add to my collection. Gotta go map the Allerton Library on Google.
this is another sad case. but, if after a tragic event, you are trying to make honest changes for the good of the community you rarely sue for $20 million dollars to boot.
Wait, everyone knows that its dangerous to ride a bike there and yet, you let your son do it? Sounds like you should go to jail for neglect.
I'm (temporarily) speechless. Idiot Gershen is now blaming cyclist safety programs?
Motor vehicles are the bane of this planet and out-of-control human behavior makes it worse. Get out of MY way because you're impeding MY PROGRESS so it's my God-given right to speed and drive carelessly. Speed bumps? How about some COPS that are supposed to enforce the laws?
This is unlikely because it's well-known that law enforcement looks the other way when it comes to commercial vehicles delivering their poisonous Gatorade to quench the thirst of the masses. If you or I were caught speeding or double parking, you can be sure that they would bleed us dry.