A high-ranking cop called for 10-year suspensions of illegal dirt-biker riders’ licenses, as a newly released surveillance video recording of a gruesome collision downtown reveals the car clearly had the green.
The Independent obtained the video of the May 30 crash at the intersection of High Street and Chapel Street from the New Haven Police Department through a Connecticut Freedom of Information Act request. According to the department’s incident report, the video was recorded by a Yale University Art Gallery surveillance camera.
The post-crash scene on May 30.
Pointing up High Street, the video shows a line of cars waiting at the intersection of Chapel Street just after 6:03 p.m. At the 19 second mark of the video, the High Street-facing traffic light changes to green, and the car at the front of the line, a grey Hyundai driven by Madison resident Darren Totten, enters the intersection.
A second later, a dirt bike driven by 17-year-old Newhallville resident Christian Marrero slams into the side of the Hyundai, sending Marrero and the passenger on the back of his dirt bike flying over the car and onto the pavement in front of the gallery. Look in the top left corner of the screen at the 25 second mark.
Both Marrero and his passenger survived the crash, though Marrero suffered a broken arm, a broken leg, and multiple lacerated organs. According to the department’s incident report, police plan on charging him with multiple misdemeanor counts, including reckless driving, reckless endangerment, operating a motorcycle without a license, operating a motorcycle without insurance, and failing to obey an overhead signal. (Click here to read a previous interview with Marrero.)
Decade Deterrence?
Yale Police Lieutenant Keith Pullen at the Dwight Community Management Team meeting.
A few days after the crash, Yale Police Department Lt. Keith Pullen told neighbors at the Dwight Community Management meeting that he has one idea for how to deter dirt bike riders from speeding illegally through city streets.
“If they get caught,” he said, “it should be an automatic suspension of their license for 10 years. There has to be some kind of penalty.”
He said he understands why the city and university police have no chase policies in place, so that cops don’t inadvertently hurt the suspects, themselves, or any bystanders by chasing along after the bikes.
“We can’t throw our lights on and start chasing these kids,” he said.
But that means that the university police, along with the city police, have very limited options in terms of how to arrest riders who violate the law. He said Yale police try to catch up with suspects when they stop to refill at gas stations. But beyond that, there’s little they can do.
“We don’t know what to do,” he said.
With the automatic 10-year license suspension, he said, at least there will be some definite, intensive consequences for those who do get caught.
As for Marrero’s crash, he said, “We didn’t think he was gonna make it.” Fortunately, he said, there were two doctors on the scene who happened to be in a nearby Starbucks when the accident took place.
“If I could save one parent from going to a funeral,” he said, “we have to do it.”
NHPD Updating Strategy
Meanwhile, New Haven police are crafting an updated plan to address the illegal dirt-bike menace, according to Lt. Karl Jacobson, who oversees the effort.
“We’re looking into some new things” including advanced technology, Jacobson said. Also up for consideration: amending city law to fine rather than criminally charge young people caught riding illegal dirt bikes on the street., “so we’re not giving a young person a criminal record.”
Jacobson said he’s looking for ideas from the public as well. He urged people to attend an upcoming public discussion organized by Westville activist Dennis Serfilippi.
The dirt bike menace has plagued the city for years, whenever the weather turns warm. Click here to read about one particularly devastating Grand Avenue crash (shown in above video) which left a veteran rider near death. Click here and here to read about some efforts the police have made to work with riders to address the problem.
Paul Bass contributed to this report.
Hi.
Flaming socialist here. We need a maximum wage and we must release all non-violent drug offenders today etc etc etc . That said, why suspend their drivers license if they are already driving illegally?