A dump truck driver hit and killed an e-bike rider in the Bonx on Wednesday, amNY reports. After reportedly knocking Mariano Leonardo Victoriano to the ground while making a right turn and running him over, the driver kept on driving, leaving Victoriano to die. He was taken to the hospital by emergency services and was later pronounced dead.
On its own, it’s an awful story, and while police claim they have been able to identify and locate the driver, they still haven’t made an arrest or charged the driver with a crime. What’s even worse, though, is that this is the second time in a week that a New York City dump truck driver has killed someone in a hit-and-run.
Last Friday, a dump truck driver also hit and killed 75-year-old Yelena Gervolskaya while she was crossing the street in Brooklyn. An SUV driver then ran over her again, and she was declared dead at the scene. Both the dump truck and SUV driver drove off. Both drivers have reportedly been identified, but as before, they have yet to be arrested or charged.
If you thought that was the last of the terrible dump truck news, unfortunately, you’d be mistaken. Yesterday, a dump truck driver near Pocatello, Idaho caused a three-vehicle crash involving eight other people, two of whom died. The driver was taken to the hospital but does not appear to have sustained serious injuries.
Meanwhile, in Sacramento, California, police are now asking for the public’s help in identifying the driver of a dump truck who drove off the road, crossed a sidewalk and hit at least eight cars in a parking lot before backing out and driving off. One victim of the hit-and-run, Heather Martinez, is still in the hospital more than a month later recovering from serious injuries that still have her in the ICU.
Every single one of these wrecks is terrible in its own right, but seeing all four of them happen so quickly makes them all look even worse. It’s not like dump truck drivers are coordinating with each other, but you can’t help but feel like there’s something seriously wrong with dump truck drivers lately.