City Council passes bill to increase penalties for hit-and-run drivers

The City Council passed a bill Tuesday to increase penalties for drivers who flee after hitting a pedestrian. The Justice for Hit and Run Victims Act will require drivers who leave the scene after

News 12 Staff

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Sep 25, 2014, 1:46 AM

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Updated 3,741 days ago

The City Council passed a bill Tuesday to increase penalties for drivers who flee after hitting a pedestrian.

The Justice for Hit and Run Victims Act will require drivers who leave the scene after hitting a pedestrian to pay $10,000 to the victim's family.

Belkys Rivera lost her son Josbel in December 2011 when a driver hit him while he was crossing Mosholu Parkway.

The driver, Mitchum Williams, fled the scene and torched the car after the accident to destroy the evidence. He pleaded guilty in March and was sentenced to one to four years for the crime.

Rivera says that while this bill won't bring her son back, she's encouraged its passing will help prevent other mothers from going through a similar ordeal.