Tuesday morning, April 12, an out-of-control car jumped the curb and struck a young mother who was walking her dog. According to ABC 7 News Skye Brunetti, age 25, had just dropped her five-year-old son off at the school bus stop and was on the sidewalk returning home when the car struck, killing her and her dog. Police surmise that Skye had her back to traffic and did not see the car coming. The car also struck a utility pole and severed it. Forty-five customers lost service and the road was closed off for investigation and electrical repairs.
The car, driven by Barbara Cottone, age 50, hit one utility pole and came to a stop after hitting a second utility pole. Police did not bring charges against the driver. Her car has been impounded for safety check and is pending investigation.
Speeding is a traffic issue in many areas of New York. The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles reported that speeding accident statistics in 2014 were:
Newsday also covered the incident of Skye Brunetti’s death from a speeding accident perspective. This stretch of Union Boulevard is laden with speeding drivers.
A tow truck operator, Steven Vogel, who lives close to the Brunetti home, said cars routinely speed along at 60 miles per hour or more in this 35 mph zone. For the past month, a Suffolk County police officer has been issuing speeding tickets, but these efforts have not been enough to stop the speeding. In fact, Vogel said he got officials to change the school bus stop from Union Boulevard to nearby Harwood Avenue because the speeding was such an issue.