Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, chair of the Transportation Committee, announced the introduction of a new bill to curb hit-and-runs in New York City, as well as plans to introduce several other bills shortly.
The legislation to be introduced would establish a hit-and-run reward fund to compensate members of the public who provide information leading to the apprehension, prosecution or conviction in cases of a hit-and-run.
Three separate fatal hit-and-run incidents have occurred in the first three days of 2017. In late 2016, a popular DJ from the radio station 97.9 FM, La Mega, Jean Paul “DJ Jinx Paul” Guerrero, was killed in a hit-and-run in Brooklyn.
Rodriguez also announced plans for other bills aimed at curbing hit-and-runs, including a citywide hit-and-run alert system that informs the public about relevant information, such as makes and models of cars involved in hit-and-runs, and stepped-up investigations of all property damaged in hit-and-run cases.