NYPD Tow-Truck Driver Charged in Fatal Accident Killing 7-Year-Old Boy in School Zone

Civilian NYPD member Stephanie Sharp, 54, faces charges after her tow truck fatally hits young Kamari Hughes in school crosswalk; incident highlights continued issues with city's school zone safety.

• Civilian NYPD member Stephanie Sharp has been charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian and failure to exercise due care after hitting and killing 7-year-old Kamari Hughes with her tow truck in a school crosswalk.
• Kamari and his mother were crossing Myrtle Avenue at North Portland Avenue in Fort Greene when the incident occurred; witnesses claim that Stephanie Sharp did not stop until people stood in front of her truck about 100 feet away.
• The incident occurred in the context of ongoing safety issues in New York's school zones, where crashes happen more frequently compared to other city streets — a problem that becomes more prevalent near schools serving poorer students and children of color, with a crash occurring outside schools every 17 minutes during peak travel hours.
• Despite the known danger of school streets, the NYPD had eliminated nearly 500 school crossing-guard positions before the school year began, a move that only saved the city $7.5 million.
• Despite the high rates of accidents, the city has reportedly been weakening street safety measures at the urging of business interests, disabling safety redesigns of many community streets.

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Curbed New York Post Gothamist