Pedestrian Killed by Unlicensed Driver, NBC Los Angeles, Sunday
Patricia
Ellen Riedy, of Wildwood, Mo., was crossing Woodman Avenue in Panorama City
5:35 a.m. Saturday when she was struck by a black Ford Explorer. The
60-year-old, who was crossing outside of a crosswalk south of Cantara
St., died at the scene, said Officer Ralph Emard of the Valley Traffic
Bureau.
The driver, 36-year-old Martha
Cruz of Panorama City, did not have a valid California drivers
license, Emard said.
Because Cruz cooperated with
police, she was not arrested at the scene or charged with a crime in connection
with the collision, Emard said.
But, he said, she will likely
be charged with driving without a license.
A
driver without a valid California license struck and killed a pedestrian in a
pre-dawn collision this weekend, police said Sunday.
Pedestrian Dies When Struck by SUV in Panorama City, LA TIMES, Sunday
A 60-year-old woman was killed when she was hit by a sport utility
vehicle driven by an unlicensed driver in Panorama City, authorities said
Sunday.
Coroner’s officials identified
the victim as Patricia Ellen Riedy of Wildwood, Mo. She was crossing
Woodman Avenue just south of Cantara Street, not in a crosswalk, at about 5:35
a.m. Saturday when she was struck by a black Ford Explorer driven by
36-year-old Martha Cruz, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
Riedy was pronounced dead at the
scene.
Cruz
was not arrested. The LAPD’s statement said she did not have a driver’s
license.
incident. Information can be reported to them by calling
Weekend pedestrian
fatality underscores public safety danger of allowing unlicensed drivers to
escape car impounds: L.A. police union president
Reacting to another tragic pedestrian fatality used by an unlicensed driver, the Los Angeles Police
Protective League (LAPPL) late Sunday called on Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to
cancel a directive to have the LAPD end 30-day vehicle holds on unlicensed
drivers.
A 60-year-old woman from Missouri was killed Saturday when she was hit by a sport utility vehicle
driven by an unlicensed driver in Panorama City, officials said. “The tragic
accident in Panorama City shows how the mayor’s new policy can result in
innocent people being injured and killed,” said LAPPL President Paul M.
Weber. “The Mayor’s directive puts politics above public safety and
should be rescinded.”
Weber said vehicles driven by unlicensed drivers
should be impounded for two reasons: “First, an unlicensed driver willing to
ignore the law is, at least temporarily, less likely to further violate this
law because he or she will not have access to the impounded vehicle. Second,
the cost and inconvenience of recovering an impounded vehicle discourages
people without licenses from driving. That is precisely why the state
legislature enacted the 30-day hold law.”
Weber added that the mayor’s directive
substantially reduces the disincentives against the unlicensed and unlawful
operation of a vehicle. It also exposes officers and the City to potential
legal liabilities stemming from any damage or injury caused by an unlicensed
driver’s continued operation of a vehicle that, under state law, should have
been impounded, he said.
Under state law, police officers can impound the
cars of motorists caught driving without a license. Ignoring the public safety
benefits of this law, the mayor has called on the LAPD to end 30-day vehicle
holds on first-offense unlicensed drivers.
“The reason behind the change is politics,”
Weber said. “The mayor is concerned that a large number of illegal immigrants
cannot get a driver’s license under California law, but nevertheless drive on
our streets and therefore have their vehicles impounded. Some community leaders
and politicians have decided that it is more important that those illegal
immigrants and other unlicensed drivers have free reign to drive on our streets
than to have drivers whose licenses prove they understand the rules of the road.”
As long as a licensed driver was available to pick up the driver’s car, I don’t see what the problem is?
8:45 p.m. doesn’t see where the problem is.
The problem is multi-fold.
Two people have to come pick up the unlicensed driver: One to drive him there, one to drive the pickup car back home.
Will they be checked for valid licenses?
Allowing the car to be driven off allows the unlicensed person access to it again and again and again, ergo: that person can keep on truckin’ without a license.
They’re behind the wheel without insurance.
They’re behind the wheel without proper training or passing a written and/or driving test.
There’s not a chance in hell a legal resident without a Hispanic surname could get that same free pass.
The mayor has sucked up too much expensive sangria at posh bars paid for by his rich patrons. He’s gone totally bonkers mushhead.
He’s written Jerry Brown a letter asking for L.A. to opt out of the “Safe Cities” program, and not responsible for cooperating with the INS.
He cares far more for illegal drivers and illegal aliens than he does for L.A.’s legal residents.
I don’t get what he thinks the upside of this is. Illegals can’t vote; most of their relatives can’t vote; Hispanics who are here legally think this sucking up to illegals sucks, too.
People wake the hell up!!! Our City has become a sanctuary for illegals and the Chief of Police and Mayor and corrupt politicians have all done it. Remember when LA was such a wonderful place to live? Now, drive around and see how the illegals have destroyed nice communities because they live like pigs. Perry better do something about the out of control illegal vendors on 6th and Olympic and downtown. They come from outside LA and hoarding parking spaces so people can’t shop. Politicians must know there are 1,000 of Legal Latinos who are fed up with their bullshit in helping illegals. We are organizing and will vote you OUT.
8:42–you’ve just realized now that LA has become a sort of Tijuna north ?
Wow you must be asleep for the last 10-15 yrs.
Drive along Sherman way in the valley. See if it looks like its stil part of US.
By the way inquiring minds want to know – if ms Cruz didn’t have a license on her, how did the police get her name and presumably address (says she is from Panorama City). Credit card? A check book?
Another form of ID?
This is a better way to allow illegals to drive and not have a paper trail. Didn’t Ron post months back that there is $53 million traffic fines owed the City. Even if officers cite illegals who usually give false info their traffic fines aren’t being paid. All around the illegals are benefiting more then the legal residents. Cops are fuming and they are against this policy. Why isn’t the ACLU screaming that this is discriminatory against every other segment of the population who have just as many hardships?
Council, the mayor and the commission know they can step in and over ride Beck’s policy. As long as it rests solely on Beck’s shoulders, and no one calls them on this little known fact, they can sit pretty. Heck, if it worked with OLA, it’ll work with Beck.
Officers are calling on Beck to resign and they are fuming. He will retire a disgrace to his troops. When I was growing up and we didn’t have a car my dad took the bus. “Of the 40,000 fatal car crashes each year, one in five involve an unlicensed driver, according to an American Automobile Association Study. Unlicensed drivers are nearly five times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than licensed ones, according to the state Department of Motor Vehicles.”
Anthony Medina was crossing Olympic Boulevard in East Los Angeles at about 7:15 p.m. Thursday when a driver plowed into him. I would put money the driver who left was an illegal immigrant.