Family Of 20-Year-Old Aniya Blandon, Killed By Suspected Drag Race Last Week, Hold Protest In Crown Heights
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A 20-year-old woman's life was cut short last week after a suspected drag racer crashed in Brooklyn.
The driver is still on the loose and her family is demanding justice.
CBS2's Thalia Perez reported Sunday from Crown Heights, where a protest was held just steps from where the crash happened.
Aniya Blandon's family joined with protesters, pleading for the public's help. They prayed, lit candles, comforted each other, and released balloons in remembrance of the 20-year-old. Blandon's heartbroken mother, aunt and uncle were all present. They said they want justice and begged the driver to himself in. They also demanded change -- tough legislation to crack down on drag racing.
Police said Blandon was hit by a suspected drag racer driving a red Dodge Charger last Monday just before 3 a.m. The vehicle jumped a curb, striking the woman and a man who were both at the Utica Avenue bus stop. The man survived, Perez reported.
Perez spoke to Blandon's uncle and aunt.
"This has to stop. This has to stop," John Albert said. "This reckless behavior, this taking life and people not even caring."
"It's not another, it's Aniya, from here on out. It's not a piece of paper on somebody's desk. Her name is Aniya Blandon. Please, we're begging. You know, start here with some kind of bill out here to stop these people from drag racing on your streets," Keisha Sandsbury said.
Police said two other cars were involved in the incident, and the driver of the Charger slipped into one of those two cars and fled the scene.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-8477 or for Spanish, 1-888-577-4782. Tips can also be sent to the NYPDTips Twitter account or submitted online at NYPDCrimeStoppers.com.
CBS2's Thalia Perez contributed to this report.