By Colin DeVries
We are experiencing a hit-and-run epidemic. More pedestrians have been killed statewide this year than during the same period in either of the last two years. Traffic violence is a public health emergency, and we need our government and our leaders to take it seriously. So far this year in Jersey City:
On Jan. 4, a woman was struck crossing the street in a crosswalk at First and Jersey Avenue, and the driver did not stop.
On Jan. 19, a 79-year-old woman was using the crosswalk at Ninth Street and Hamilton Park and was struck by a hit-and-run driver. She was hospitalized for six days. It was reported to be a rideshare driver with a passenger inside.
On Jan. 26, a 54-year-old woman crossing Boyd Avenue at Kennedy Boulevard was struck from behind by a hit-and-run driver making a left turn. The woman’s injuries are unclear, but the video is hard to watch.
On Jan. 30, a hit-and-run driver ran over a child’s foot as he was crossing Pavonia Avenue to get to P.S. 23 that morning.
On Feb. 2, another 54-year-old woman was crossing Communipaw Avenue at Monticello, struck by a hit-and-run driver and brought to Jersey City Medical Center for her injuries.
A day later, just this past Friday, Feb. 3, a 48-year-old woman was seriously injured by a hit-and-run driver in the area of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Woodlawn Avenue.
That’s six hit-and-run crashes in just the first six weeks of 2023. And that’s just what has been reported. There are no doubt many more that go unreported but are no less devastating.
On Wednesday, Feb. 1, a 13-year-old boy was hit by a car crossing Bergen Avenue after a half day of school at P.S. 17. The driver stopped, but the boy was sent to the hospital. A half day is supposed to be exciting and joyful for a child, who gets to spend more time with friends and family. A crash turned that day into a nightmare for that child and his family.
And, here in Jersey City, one of the leaders who are supposed to fix this and work at keeping us safe is Amy DeGise. A council person — whose job is to shape policy for this city — is herself an admitted hit-and-run perpetrator.
I cannot accept Amy DeGise as my representative, and I will carry on the call for her to resign. She struck a human being with her SUV, causing him to flip over her hood onto the asphalt and she just kept on going. She didn’t even tap the brakes. She didn’t call 911. She didn’t report any of it until six hours later. We still don’t know what she was doing during those six hours, or what ultimately brought her to the police station after so long. What we do know is that she is unfit to hold public office.
I will not accept hit-and-runs or dangerous crashes as a fact of life in my community because I know there are evidence-based solutions that can do a better job of preventing them. Other communities have implemented them, and the thoughtful, safety-oriented employees in our city’s Department of Infrastructure have done a great job doing what political leaders will permit. But much more needs to be done to make our streets truly safe, including advocating for better street design and more traffic calming that protects the most vulnerable road users — which includes our children.
There are designs that work, but implementing them starts with political will and leadership. We need leaders in City Hall, in county offices, and in Trenton who understand, who have empathy, and who will do the hard work that it takes to keep us all safe. We need a commitment to Vision Zero and a future where crossing the street doesn’t risk your life.
Amy DeGise is not the one who will lead us to safety. She promises to “serve (her) community with humility and a genuine desire to give back through meaningful work and fighting to make a difference in my constituents’ lives,” yet since she hit and ran from Andrew Black on July 19 she has done nothing to champion safe streets. She has not offered any remorse or compassion for the many constituents who have been victims of traffic violence. Based on her words and actions since that day, she only regrets she got caught. Amy DeGise should step down, and step down now.
Colin DeVries is resident of Jersey City and a board member of Safe Streets Jersey City.
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