Mount Kisco Hit-and-Run Accident Spurs Calls to Improve Pedestrian Safety
Mount Kisco officials are preparing to embark on a study to determine how they can make the village safer for pedestrians following a hit-and-run accident that saw a 53-year-old man sustain serious injuries two weeks ago.
Last week, several residents urged the Village Board to take action to alleviate the speeding and sometimes reckless driving in areas of the village, including on Boltis Street near Main Street, the site of the Jan. 30 accident.
Daniel Bruno, whose house was one of the closest to the accident site, said he and other residents on the street and on neighboring roads believe there are areas that should have yield or stop signs as instances of speeding and motorists ignoring basic rules of the road continue to spiral. He said he believes there are multiple steps that can be taken to address the problem.
“It’s life-changing when you see this in front of your home,” Bruno said. “Then everybody’s like it’s just a guy. No, it’s right in front of your driveway. What can we do to stop this?”
Israel Cazanga, 63, of Moore Avenue in Mount Kisco, was taken into custody last Tuesday following an investigation by county police detectives. Cazanga was charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, a misdemeanor, and driving without a license, a violation.
The victim, who was not identified, was struck by a Toyota RAV-4 at 5:49 p.m., police said. He was taken by ambulance to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla. Cazanga must return to Village Court on Feb. 26.
Police said an investigation into the incident continues, including whether there were contributing factors.
While it’s not yet clear what caused the Jan. 30 accident, Mayor Gina Picinich and Deputy Mayor Lisa Abzun both said last week they recognize speeding is a problem throughout the village, in many cases, as it turns out, by village residents.
It is critical for Mount Kisco to find solutions because one of the village’s big draws is for people to come to downtown, park and walk to multiple establishments, Abzun said. Unlike many other communities in the area, there is an extensive network of sidewalks that should make it a pedestrian-friendly community.
That is why Abzun pressed last week for a study to collect hard data so officials have a better understanding of the problem, and not just anecdotal information.
While county police officers can’t monitor all locations, a study could possibly help the village to determine how they could best be deployed, she said.
“With the police that we do have, the staffing that we do have, to use that staffing much more efficiently, and whether that’s more community-based policing, which is being out, whether they’re in the car, walking around, hanging out at crosswalks, and seeing what’s going on here,” Abzun said.
Plans call for officials to place its digital signs that flash a motorist’s driving speed in key locations in hopes of slowing cars down. It will likely be another couple of weeks before drivers see them, after they are returned from being serviced, Picinich said.
Picinich said too many drivers are failing to drive safely, whatever the reasons. In other areas, lighting is likely an issue as well, she noted.
Going through a stop sign at Knowlton Avenue and Barker Street became so prevalent that the village had a lighted stop sign installed at that location, Picinich said.
“The challenge here is there is a lot of vehicular traffic moving through our community, and unfortunately, many of the offenders are people who live here, though certainly there are many drivers who don’t,” Picinich said.
A letter to the village by Spencer Street resident Mary Lynn Windsor, which was read into the record by another resident at last week’s Village Board meeting, detailed how in late November a vehicle traveling at an excessive speed jumped the curb and hit a railing on her property. The driver did not stop, according to Windsor.
“I filed a police report within 15 minutes of the accident,” she stated. “This is at least the fourth time that a vehicle has run onto my property or hit a car in front of my property.”
Fortunately, there have been no injuries since no one was in her yard at the time of the incidents, Windsor added.
Picinich said while speeding and reckless driving is an issue in multiple neighborhoods, a quick fix likely won’t address the problem.
“There has to be a broad approach and look at this from a variety of directions,” she added. “It’s public education and understanding. We all have to be responsible for how we drive.”
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
