{"id":1669,"date":"2018-05-06T22:59:50","date_gmt":"2018-05-07T02:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/makequeenssafer.org\/home\/?p=1669"},"modified":"2018-05-08T07:05:20","modified_gmt":"2018-05-08T11:05:20","slug":"vigil-for-giovanni-ampuero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/makequeenssafer.org\/home\/2018\/05\/vigil-for-giovanni-ampuero\/","title":{"rendered":"Vigil for Giovanni Ampuero"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Last week, a driver struck and killed 9-year-old Giovanni Ampuero<\/a> as he crossed Northern Boulevard in Jackson Heights.  The child was walking in the crosswalk holding his Mother’s hand, and had the right of way.  The driver left the scene of the crash and stopped ten blocks away after being chased down by another motorist.  He has been charged<\/a> with leaving the scene, failure to yield to a pedestrian and failure to exercise due care.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, community members joined Giovanni’s family to mourn the child’s death and to demand action to address the ongoing safety crisis on Northern Boulevard<\/a>.  The vigil and march were led by Giovanni’s parents, grandmother, and brothers. Congressman Joseph Crowley, City Council Member Danny Dromm, and other community leaders spoke about the need for policy and design changes to make the city’s streets safer for everyone.  We thank the 115th Precinct for facilitating safe passage of the march.<\/p>\n

Make Queens Safer, the Transportation Alternatives Queens Volunteer Committee, and Families For Safe Streets called for the following actions:<\/p>\n