HOPING TO AVOID MORE TRAGEDIES

Robert Ogle (photo courtesy of MySpace) The parents of a Middle Village teenager who was struck and killed last February by an alleged drunk driver behind the wheel of a stolen car testified at City Hall last Thursday, Oct. 8, in support of a bill that would increase penalties against motorists who leave their cars running unattended on city streets.

Brendan and Mei Ogle joined City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley at a hearing of the Transportation Committee to testify in favor of Intro. No. 947, which was introduced in the wake of the Feb. 2 accident that took the life their son, Robert Ogle.

The 16-year-old student of Brooklyn Technical High School and another victim—20-year-old Alex Paul of Cypress Hills—were run down and killed by a vehicle allegedly driven by Kenneth Guyear, 27, of 72nd Street in Middle Village. Law enforcement sources stated that the suspect allegedly took the car involved in the incident—a 2001 Kia Spectre—minutes earlier as it was left idling outside a deli on Woodhaven Boulevard in Rego Park.

Reportedly, the lawful owner of the vehicle left the car running as he ran inside the grocery store.

In the aftermath of the accident, Council Member Crowley introduced the legislation increasing penalties against drivers who are found leaving their cars idling on the street.

“Sadly, the death of two young men may have been avoided if a man had not left his car running while shopping in a store,” Crowley said. “The current fine for leaving your car ignition on and unattended is $5. Under the Robert Ogle bill, the fine will be raised to $250 to deter anyone from being careless with their vehicles.”

“I know too well that an unattended and running car can become a deadly weapon,” said Brendan Ogle. “It is necessary to increase the awareness and penalties for people who are careless with their personal property because money talks. If people are aware that it costs them $250, then they won’t leave their cars running and unattended.”

Also on hand at the Transportation Committee hearing to testify in support of the measure was Robert Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association, who observed that leaving a idling car unattended is tantamount to “leaving a loaded gun laying around for anyone to take.”

“Too often the city overlooks these small crimes with fatal consequences. Leaving your car running and unattended is a crime, and the owner should be held responsible for that crime,” Holden stated. “Countless lives are lost around the city be- cause of laziness and carelessness, and this bill is important to ensure those mistakes do not continue.”

City Council Member John Liu, who chairs the Transportation Committee, indicated that the legislators along with the Bloomberg administration seem to be in favor of passing the bill with a few minor wording changes. He anticipated that the final version could be passed within “a couple of weeks.”

“It crushes me to think that lives can be taken because of someone’s careless mistake,” Liu said. “This simply cannot happen in this city.”

Crowley noted that her office is working with the Ogle family and Liu to launch a public awareness campaign aimed at preventing drivers from leaving their cars running unattended.