Back in November, Bowery Mission resident Robert Perry was killed by the driver of a BMW who, police said, was traveling at speeds in excess of 50 mph. Today, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance has announced that the driver, Danny Lin, has been indicted on one count of manslaughter in the second degree.
In a statement, the DA said:
Less than three weeks before this fatal collision, New York City lowered its speed limit, recognizing that pedestrians struck by vehicles traveling at 30 miles per hour are twice as likely to die as those struck at 25 miles per hour… This defendant is charged with speeding down the Bowery at more than twice the new speed limit, allegedly striking and killing a 57-year-old man. Miraculously, no one else was hurt when the car he was driving crashed into a hydrant on a sidewalk filled with other pedestrians. City streets are no place for this kind of reckless driving and dangerous speed.
According to court documents, Lin was allegedly speeding north on Bowery at around 7 p.m. on Nov. 24. Perry, who was crossing the Bowery near Rivington Street, was sent into the air after being struck, before landing more than 140 feet away. Prosecutors say Lin kept driving after hitting Perry, jumping the sidewalk and crashing into a fire hydrant near several pedestrians.
