While Greenpoint mourns Neftaly Ramirez, who was fatally struck on Franklin and Noble on July 22, the Action Carting driver who hit him is not being charged with a crime. Ramirez was biking home after his shift at Paulie Gee’s (60 Greenpoint Avenue) when he was hit on Franklin Street, and pronounced dead at the scene.
According to DNAinfo, Mr. Ramirez’s death is one in a string of fatalities and injuries Action Carting, the city’s largest private garbage collection company, has been involved in recently. Since 2008, the company’s trucks have killed 5 and injured at least a dozen others.
In this case, Brooklyn Paper reports, “an NYPD rep said police determined that the driver didn’t know he hit the cyclist, claiming it’s impossible to convict him of a crime he had no idea he committed, especially since he was operating a massive garbage truck.
‘You need probable cause to arrest someone. If someone hits someone and it’s a big gigantic garbage truck and they don’t know they hit him, you can’t charge someone with a crime,’ said Lieutenant John Grimpel.”
Community members unsatisfied with the Department’s explanation may be further frustrated to hear that the case remains open, which means the public will not have access to full details of the crash. Investigation is ongoing.
Complete bullshit how NYC treats accidents with cyclists. I’m surprised the NYPD even bothered to track down the driver. I’m pretty certain if I were driving and hit a parked car, then claimed ignorance of the event, that it wouldn’t absolve me from leaving the scene of an accident. This guy didn’t even get a ticket.
this is unfuckingbelievable
Why should he be charged?!! It was an accident! Have you ever drove a garbage truck or noisy giant vehicle? You can’t see anything on the right said. That’s why trailers have sign that say pass on left only.! I am a native Greenpointer and have seen the transformation of added bike lanes. I am also a motorist and I have had too many neat encounters with by cyclists because they do not obey the traffic laws. They want to share our roads for free have their own lane and their own light and then when they eat a red light or a stop sign and get hit by a motorist then the motorist is in trouble!! Not Fair. My nephews live in the edge by Kent and seriously got hit by a by bicyclist and needed stitches. No consequences for the cyclist. How is that fair. You want to share our roads then share the responsibility and accountability. I’m sorry for that mans family but I do not think the driver should be charged!
You seem to know a lot about what happened that night that man was killed by the trash truck. Maybe you should contact the police and tell them your story. Have you ever ridden a bike down Kent Avenue by The Edge buildings, especially on the weekends? Have you seen how pedestrians respect traffic signals and look both ways before they cross? Because a lot of them sure don’t. But I’m not going to assume your nephew was at fault because I wasn’t there when it happened. The opposite of what you’re doing with a man who was killed by a truck in the middle of the night. I’m sure that man’s family wish he just needed some stitches too.