In wake of fatal car accident in Bronx, NYPD says it will continue crackdown on reckless driving
NEW YORK -- The NYPD is sending a strong message: reckless driving will not be tolerated.
It comes on the heels of two incidents, including a fatal crash in the Bronx.
Friends gathered Monday night at a memorial at the corner of Bryant and Viele avenues, where two young lives were lost -- 15-year-old Sabrina Villagomez and 21-year-old Giovante Roberson.
Candles spelled out "Gio" in his memory.
Police said they were in a white car, driven by a 23-year-old, when it struck a parked oil tanker early Sunday.
"A tragic accident. We had young kids doing donuts in a parking lot with their cars. They call it like a street meet with cars and one of the cars hit a truck and two people lost their lives. Two people are severely hurt," NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said.
The NYPD's assistant commissioner posted on social media that the fatal collision is "highlighting the grave consequences of these reckless behaviors," and shared video of a group he says "caused chaos" on the Grand Central Parkway later Sunday.
"We had about 60 cars heading to that memorial in the Bronx and they decide on the Grand Central Parkway they're gonna stop and use the highway as a playpen. We're not gonna have it," Chell said.
Chell said with intel and drone technology, the NYPD was able to find the pickup truck in the video at the vigil and make an arrest.
It's all part of the NYPD's plan to crack down on quality-of-life issues, including reckless driving. Chell said the department's task force will grow to build on its momentum.
"In the last year and a half we've taken over 45,000 illegal ATVs, mopeds, ghost cars, paper plates, cars with no plates, and drag racing cars off our streets," Chell said.
Police said a 17-year-old female passenger is in critical condition.
The driver was also taken to the hospital. It's not clear yet if he will face charges. The investigation is ongoing.
