Showing posts with label East Village Farm and Grocery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label East Village Farm and Grocery. Show all posts

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Village Farm Grocery has closed for now on 2nd Avenue



The corner market on the northeast corner of Second Avenue and Ninth Street closed yesterday...



This after reducing hours in recent days. As EVG correspondent Steven noted, Village Farm Grocery remained open even after the blackout and Superstorm Sandy... and they are the latest neighborhood deli to close during the COVID-19 crisis.

Meanwhile, several blocks to the south on Second Avenue... East Village Farm and Grocery at Fourth Street is open — but only for deliveries... no customers permitted inside...

Friday, November 4, 2016

Report: Shaun Martin receives 20 years to life for death of East Village Farm and Grocery florist

Shaun Martin, who prosecutors said was drunk and high on PCP when he plowed his car going 90 MPH into East Village Farm and Grocery on Second Avenue on June 19, 2013, which led to the death of florist Mohammed Akkas Ali, was sentenced today to 20 years to life.

During a sentence hearing last month, Martin's lawyer, Arthur Aidala, tried to have the charges dismissed, arguing that his client was so intoxicated he couldn't be held accountable for murder by displaying a "depraved indifference to life," per the Daily News.

During the sentencing today, Martin, a 35-year-old Queens resident, "got little sympathy from Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Melissa Jackson as she sentenced him on charges including murder and aggravated vehicular homicide," as the Daily News reported.

Martin's excuses — that he was self medicating for psychiatric disorders and addicted to drugs — do not negate what he did, the judge said.

She said his family “did everything they could to help you every single time but you continued to use drugs."

Aidala said he'll file an appeal on Martin's behalf.

"It's a tragic day for many families," the lawyer said outside the courtroom. "Two lives were lost here — Mr. Ali and Mr. Martin."

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured

Crowdsourcing campaign for injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker raises nearly $19,000

Report: Injured East Village Farm and Grocery florist has lost his memory, use of his voice

[Updated] RIP Akkas Ali

Friday, October 21, 2016

Report: Lawyer for driver in fatal 2nd Avenue collision wants charges dropped

Queens resident Shaun Martin, who prosecutors said was drunk and high on PCP when he plowed his car going 90 MPH into East Village Farm and Grocery on Second Avenue on June 19, 2013, which led to the death of florist Mohammed Akkas Ali, was found guilty of murder in July.

During a sentence hearing today, his lawyer, Arthur Aidala, tried to have the charges dismissed.

However, as the Daily News reported, Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Melissa Jackson denied the request, stating that there was sufficient evidence to support the crime.

Per the Daily News:

Aidala argued that Martin was so intoxicated he couldn't be held accountable for murder by displaying a "depraved indifference to life.”

"You can't say someone who doesn't know what the heck they are doing is depraved — because your brain isn't working with enough synapses to make that judgement," he said.

“Because he was so intoxicated on this cocktail of drugs, he couldn't make decisions the law says he has to be able to make. If he was sober, he would be 100% guilty.”

Sentencing is now schedule for Nov. 4. Martin, 35, faces up to life in prison.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured

Crowdsourcing campaign for injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker raises nearly $19,000

Report: Injured East Village Farm and Grocery florist has lost his memory, use of his voice

[Updated] RIP Akkas Ali

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Shaun Martin found guilty of murder in 2013 crash at East Village Farm and Grocery



Queens resident Shaun Martin, who prosecutors say was drunk and high on PCP when he plowed his car into East Village Farm and Grocery on Second Avenue on June 19, 2013, which led to the death of florist Mohammed Akkas Ali, was found guilty of murder today.

He faces up to life in prison. He is expected to be sentenced on Sept. 21.

Here's the statement from the office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.:

MARTIN was convicted following a bench trial in New York State Supreme Court of all of the charges against him, including Murder in the Second Degree, Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, and Assault and Reckless Endangerment in the First Degrees, among other charges.

“Shaun Martin turned a vehicle into a ‎murder weapon the morning he took the wheel while impaired by drugs,” said District Attorney Vance. “In doing so, he chose to endanger the lives of every New Yorker he encountered that day. As proven at trial, he acted with depraved indifference to human life, directly causing the death of Mohammed Akkas Ali and seriously injuring two of his coworkers. He never touched the brakes as he hurtled through the East Village. I would like to thank the Judge for her careful deliberation of this case, and hope this conviction serves to deter those who would be so devoid of care for the lives of their fellow New Yorkers.”

As proven at trial, at approximately 6:50 a.m. on June 19, 2013, MARTIN sped through the East Village in a white Nissan Altima, driving more than 50 miles per hour, while impaired by both phencyclidine, commonly referred to as PCP, and methamphetamine. Cutting across three lanes of traffic, MARTIN drove onto the sidewalk and struck a fire hydrant, a pay phone, a muni-meter, and a tree, before crashing the car into a flower stand attached to the East Village Farm and Grocery Store on the corner of East 4th Street and Second Avenue. MARTIN struck three of the store’s employees, including Mohammed Akkas Ali, who died as a result of injuries he suffered from the crash. A man riding a bicycle was also injured by debris from the crash.

Defendant Information:

SHAUN MARTIN, D.O.B. 4/7/1981
Queens, NY

Convicted:
• Murder in the Second Degree, a class A felony, 1 count
• Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, a class B felony, 2 counts
• Assault in the First Degree, a class B felony, 2 counts
• Aggravated Vehicular Assault, a class C felony, 4 counts
• Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree, a class D felony, 1 count
• Driving While Ability Impaired By Drugs, a class E felony, 2 counts
• Driving While Ability Impaired By Combination of Drugs and Alcohol, a class E felony, 1 count
• Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count
• Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count

Martin's attorney argued Ali's death "was not caused by Martin's terrifying collision ... but because his breathing tube had been knocked out and he could not be revived" at the health-care facility he was in, according to the Daily News.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured

Crowdsourcing campaign for injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker raises nearly $19,000

Report: Injured East Village Farm and Grocery florist has lost his memory, use of his voice

[Updated] RIP Akkas Ali

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Murder trial starts for high driver who crashed into East Village Farm and Grocery


[Photo from June 19, 2013, via @Xeus]

The murder trial started yesterday for Queens resident Shaun Martin, who prosecutors say was drunk and high on PCP when he plowed his car into East Village Farm and Grocery on Second Avenue on June 19, 2013, which led to the death of florist Mohammed Akkas Ali.

"He wasn't just speeding, he was accelerating," Assistant District Attorney Constantine Coritsidis argued in his opening statement in Manhattan Supreme Court, as the Daily News reported.

Martin was reportedly driving 80 mph in a rented white Nissan Altima when hit a fire hydrant, a muni meter and a 25-foot tree, then jumped a curb and smashed into East Village Farm and Grocery at the corner of East Fourth Street. This happened just before 7 a.m., as Ali was finishing his shift. Four other people sustained injuries in the collision.

Ali suffered serious brain trauma and died on Jan. 1, 2014, due to complications from his injuries. He was 63.

Per the Daily News:

The accused killer ... shied away from looking at the harrowing footage of the moment he barreled into Ali.

He buried his face in his hands as the video, a main piece of evidence in the prosecution's case, was played in open court.

Martin, 35, faces up to life in prison for charges that include second-degree murder, aggravated vehicular homicide and first-degree assault.

Martin's attorney, who declined to give an opening statement, also opted for a bench trial. Justice Melissa Jackson will decide Martin's fate.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured

Crowdsourcing campaign for injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker raises nearly $19,000

Report: Injured East Village Farm and Grocery florist has lost his memory, use of his voice

[Updated] RIP Akkas Ali

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Report: Murder charge for driver who crashed into East Village Farm and Grocery


[Photo via Fox]

Queens resident Shaun Martin, who was allegedly drunk and high on PCP when he plowed his car into East Village Farm and Grocery on Second Avenue last June, has now reportedly been charged with murder.

The DA's office today upgraded the indictment to include second-degree murder, aggravated vehicular homicide, first-degree assault and other counts.

The Daily News reports that the 33-year-old Martin now faces 25 years to life in prison.

Mohammed Akkas Ali, a florist at the store at East Fourth Street, suffered serious brain trauma and died on Jan. 1 due to complications from his injuries. He was 63.

While free on bail in early December, police reportedly arrested Martin for threatening to shoot someone while possessing cocaine outside a club in East Elmhurst.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Renee White ordered Martin held without bail.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured

Crowdsourcing campaign for injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker raises nearly $19,000

Report: Injured East Village Farm and Grocery florist has lost his memory, use of his voice

[Updated] RIP Akkas Ali

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

$1 million bail set for driver who crashed into East Village Farm and Grocery; prosecutors mull homicide charges


[Fox News]

Queens resident Shaun Martin, who was allegedly drunk and high on PCP when he plowed his car into East Village Farm and Grocery last June, was ordered held on a $1 million bail today as the District Attorney's office weighs potential homicide charges, the Daily News reports.

Akkas Ali, the florist at the corner store on Second Avenue who was critically injured in the crash, died on Jan. 1. According to Serena Solomon at DNAinfo, Ali, 63, went into cardiac arrest when a tracheostomy tube that he needed to help him breathe because of his injuries became lodged in his throat.

Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance originally charged Martin last summer with two counts of first degree vehicular assault, two counts of felony assault with serious injury, a felony count of operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, felony driving while ability impaired, and felony DWAI by drugs and alcohol.

According to the Daily News, while free on bail in early December, police arrested the 32-year-old Martin for threatening to shoot someone while possessing cocaine outside a club in East Elmhurst.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured

Crowdsourcing campaign for injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker raises nearly $19,000

Report: Injured East Village Farm and Grocery florist has lost his memory, use of his voice

[Updated] RIP Akkas Ali

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

[Updated] RIP Akkas Ali



Akkas Ali, the florist at East Village Farm and Grocery who was critically injured last June after an out-of-control driver jumped the curb, has died.

Last night, before a Community Board 3 meeting, board member Chad Marlow, who was instrumental in raising money for Ali's family, shared the sad news, as BoweryBoogie reports.

"He died of complications stemming from his injuries from the car crash," Marlow said at the meeting. According to DNAinfo, Marlow did not know the official cause of death or whether Ali died at home or in the hospital.

Just before 7 a.m. on June 19, Shaun Martin of Queens and a female passenger were reportedly speeding down Second Avenue when he lost control of his Nissan Altima ... jumping the curb around East Fourth Street and injuring four people, most critically the 62-year-old Ali. He reportedly emerged from a coma 11 days after the crash.

Later last summer, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance charged Martin with two counts of first degree vehicular assault, two counts of felony assault with serious injury, a felony count of operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, felony driving while ability impaired, and felony DWAI by drugs and alcohol.

Updated noon:

Martin is due back in court on Tuesday. Per Gothamist: "A spokeswoman for the DA's office says that any additional charges filed against Martin due to Ali's death would be announced in court on the 21st."

Updated 12:47 p.m.

Serena Solomon at DNAinfo has more information about Ali's death. He died on Jan. 1. His death has been labeled an accident by the medical examiner.

Per DNAinfo:

He went into cardiac arrest when a tracheostomy tube that he needed to help him breathe because of his injuries became lodged in his throat, the medical examiner's office said ...

The medical examiner's report concluded that the mishap with the tracheostomy tube occurred "during the management of blunt impact injuries" caused by the crash.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured

Crowdsourcing campaign for injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker raises nearly $19,000

Report: Injured East Village Farm and Grocery florist has lost his memory, use of his voice

Friday, August 16, 2013

Report: Injured East Village Farm and Grocery florist has lost his memory, use of his voice



Akkas Ali, the florist at East Village Farm and Grocery who was critically injured in June after an out-of-control driver jumped the curb, is currently a patient at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, N.J.

Last week, CB3 member Chad Marlow presented Ali's son, Rukanul Islam, 22, with a check for $18,047.32 — all money raised through the crowdsourcing campaign.

The Villager has an update on Mr. Ali's condition this week via his son:

[He] said his father is conscious, and will open his eyes if someone is in the room and talking to him. He can turn his head and point to people with his right arm, and can raise his right leg. But his left leg and ankle are injured, and he’s not moving that leg or his left arm, either.

He is also intubated — periodically put on a ventilator to help him breathe — and because the tube crosses over his vocal chords, he cannot currently talk.

In addition, as a result of brain injury suffered from the force of the impact, he has completely lost his memory, and currently doesn’t even recognize his own family members.

However dire, Ali's son said that "his condition is getting better."

Shaun Martin, who prosecutors say was drunk "and high on PCP" when he drove his car onto a Second Avenue sidewalk on June 19, pleaded not guilty during his arrangement in Manhattan Supreme Court last month.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured (62 comments)

Campaign launched to raise money for gravely injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker

1st week of crowdsourcing campaign for injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker raises $11k

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Report: East Village curb-crash driver pleads 'not guilty' during arraignment

Shaun Martin, who prosecutors say was drunk "and high on PCP" when he drove his car onto a Second Avenue sidewalk last month, pleaded not guilty during his arrangement in Manhattan Supreme Court yesterday, the Post reported.

According to documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court, Martin, of Bayside, Queens, is charged with speeding through the East Village in a white Nissan Altima at approximately 6:50 a.m. on June 19, while impaired by phencyclidine, commonly referred to as PCP, and methamphetamine. The defendant allegedly cut across three lanes of traffic and drove onto the sidewalk, striking multiple objects including a fire hydrant, phone booth, and tree, before crashing into a flower stand attached to a deli on East 4th Street and Second Avenue. Two of the deli’s employees were hit and seriously injured in the crash. Both victims suffered broken bones, and one suffered serious brain trauma.


[Image via Neighborhoodr]

After the wreck, the Post reported that the 32-year-old Martin allegedly asked a cop, "Am I dead?" and, "Was I driving?"

Also from the Post:

He also whined to an EMT, "Don’t call my mother, she’s going to be upset," court papers said.

According to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., the charges against Martin are:
-Aggravated Vehicular Assault, a class C felony, 2 counts
-Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 2 counts
-Driving While Ability Impaired By Combination of Drugs and Alcohol, a class E felony, 1 count
-Driving While Impaired by the Use of a Drug, a class E felony, 1 count
-Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured

Crowdsourcing campaign for injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker raises nearly $19,000

Monday, July 22, 2013

Report: DA charges curb-crash driver with vehicular assault


[Photo via @JanSichermann]

Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance charged the driver who plowed into East Village Farm and Grocery on Second Avenue last month with vehicular assault, Streetsblog reported on Friday.

As previously reported, the NYPD charged Shaun Martin, 32, of Bayside, Queens, with DWI.

Per Streetsblog:

He was also charged with possession of PCP, according to online court records.

Court records show multiple charges were added on July 5: two counts of first degree vehicular assault, two counts of felony assault with serious injury, a felony count of operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, felony driving while ability impaired, and felony DWAI by drugs and alcohol.

Possible sentences reportedly range from probation to 15 years in prison.

Just before 7 a.m. on June 19, Martin and a female passenger were reportedly speeding down Second Avenue when he lost control of his Nissan Altima ... jumping the curb around East Fourth Street and injuring four people, most critically 62-year-old Akkas Ali. He reportedly emerged from a coma 11 days after the crash.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured

Crowdsourcing campaign for injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker raises nearly $19,000

Crowdsourcing campaign for injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker raises nearly $19,000



The crowdsourcing campaign ended this past weekend for the family of gravely injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker Akkas Ali (pictured above). At the end of the campaign, 290 people contributed $18,579 for Ali's rehabilitation.

Community Board 3 member Chad Marlow organized the campaign. As he said in June in announcing the campaign:

"I went through this same thing with my father when he was just 4 years younger than Mr. Ali, and one of Mr. Ali's sons is the same age as I was when my father was stuck and seriously and permanently injured by a speeding, intoxicated driver. So I know how much this kind of support would help him and his family."

We asked Marlow for his reaction to the campaign results yesterday:

"The success of this effort is a wonderful testament to our community ... 290 contributors stepped forward to help this poor family. We have collectively done a great good and, in doing so, have revealed the great goodness lies at the center of the East Village's soul. I am enormously proud and grateful to be part of this community."

Marlow reports that Ali has been transferred to the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in New Jersey.

"Mr. Ali has been opening his eyes and has been exhibiting responsive eye movements, but now that he is at Kessler, which is one of the best rehabilitation facilities in the world — Christopher Reeve also went there — the real work of getting better can begin."

Marlow's father was also a patient at Kessler following his accident.

Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance reportedly charged the driver, Shaun Martin of Queens, with vehicular assault.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured (62 comments)

Campaign launched to raise money for gravely injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker

1st week of crowdsourcing campaign for injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker raises $11k

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Report: Injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker emerges from coma


[Photo via @Xeus]

East Village Farm and Grocery worker Akkas Ali was critically injured on June 19 after a speeding car jumped the curb and plowed into his Second Avenue flower stand.

EVG Facebook friend Bill Weinberg posted the following yesterday:

Just dropped by East Village Farm & Grocery and they told me that Akkas Ali has opened his eyes for the first time since the "accident." He didn't talk, but I'll take what I can get. Thank you, Akkas. We are rooting for you.

The Villager first reported this development yesterday.

Meanwhile, the crowdsourcing campaign to help Ali's family with medical expenses continues. As of last night, 240 donors had pledged $14,694. The campaign ends in 19 days.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured (62 comments)

Campaign launched to raise money for gravely injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker

1st week of crowdsourcing campaign for injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker raises $11k

Friday, June 28, 2013

1st week of crowdsourcing campaign for injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker raises $11k



Last Friday, we posted information about the crowdsourcing campaign that CB3 member Chad Marlow organized to help raise money for the family of gravely injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker Akkas Ali (pictured above).

Marlow writes in with an update.

I wanted to thank you and all your readers who have helped with the fundraising effort for Akkas Ali, the florist who was severely injured in the horrific car crash on East 4th Street and 2nd Avenue on June 19.

I am pleased to say that, at the completion of our first week of fundraising, we have raised $11,792 from exactly 200 donors. This is an amazing accomplishment, but it is only a start. We need to raise a lot more before the fundraiser ends on July 20, and the first week is typically the easiest.

Here are three ways to help First, go to www.giveforward.com/akkasali and make a donation of whatever you can afford. Second, when you make your donation, leave a little message of support for the family when prompted to do so (the family has been reading these messages and says they are a source of rare joy during these difficult times). Third, and perhaps most important, PLEASE use whatever methods you can (including email and social media) to help spread the word about this fundraising effort.

Thanks to everyone again for their kindness and generosity!

The last that Marlow heard, Ali remains in a coma. Marlow hopes to raise $100,000 total for Ali and his family.

DNAinfo reported that the driver of the car, 32-year-old Queens resident Shaun Martin, was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, criminal possession of a controlled substance and vehicular assault.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured (62 comments)

Campaign launched to raise money for gravely injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Report: Driver in East Village Farm and Grocery crash asked cops if he was dead


[Photo via @kiwi1978]

DNAinfo has an update on the horrific crash that injured four people early Wednesday morning on Second Avenue and East Fourth Street:

The drunk and drugged-up driver who slammed into several pedestrians and a Citi biker this week had PCP in his sock and was so out of it repeatedly asked cops "Am I dead," prosecutors said.

Shaun Martin, a 32-year-old Bayside, Queens resident, is being held on $100,000 bail. He is due back in court Monday, per DNAinfo.

Read the DNAinfo piece here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured (62 comments)

Campaign launched to raise money for gravely injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker

Friday, June 21, 2013

Campaign launched to raise money for gravely injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker


[The flowers outside East Village Farm and Grocery this spring. Photo via Creature]

CB3 member Chad Marlow has organized the following crowdsourcing campaign...

Help raise money to help pay the medical and other costs of flower shop operator Akkas Ali, who was mowed down by a speeding driver on 6/19.

On June 19, 2013, a speeding, intoxicated driver racing down Second Avenue slammed into the flower stand outside East Village Farms & Grocery on 2nd Avenue and 4th Street. The driver struck and greviously injured Akkas Ali, the 62-year-old flower shop operator who had been working at that location for 22 years. Mr. Ali has a wife and three sons, and they all need our support in this time of terrible tragedy.

Whatever money we can raise will help defray Mr. Ali's medical cost and lost income while he attempts to recover from his injuries. Raising money for Mr. Ali will also help give him piece of mind that his family is being taken care of. Please, let our caring East Village community, the City of New York and all others with generous hearts show our love and support for Mr. Ali and his family by rallying around them during this incredibly diffcult time.

Said Marlow in an email announcing the launch: "I went through this same thing with my father when he was just 4 years younger than Mr. Ali, and one of Mr. Ali's sons is the same age as I was when my father was stuck and seriously and permanently injured by a speeding, intoxicated driver. So I know how much this kind of support would help him and his family."

You may find the GiveForward site here.

As for Ali ... Matt at neighborhoodr! spoke with the East Village Farm and Grocery folks yesterday.

Ali’s son stopped in earlier with an update on his father:

He had two broken bones in his leg, femur and shin. He also had internal bleeding inside his skull. He underwent surgery yesterday. He’s still on a respirator and isn’t communicating.

Read the rest of his post here. WABC has a report here.



Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured (60 comments)

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

After the crash: This evening outside East Village Farm and Grocery



Walked by East Village Farm and Grocery on Second Avenue and East Fourth Street this evening... the site of the awful accident around 7 a.m. today. Everything seems strangely back to normal. The Grocery is open, though they aren't currently selling any flowers, which were wiped out when the speeding Nissan Altima jumped the curb and knocked over a street sign, tree, pay phone and fire hydrant.

Diners/drinkers are sitting along the Avenue's many sidewalk cafes... a lot of people seem unaware of that the area was a crime scene earlier in the day ... others are walking and pointing to some of the damage. It happened right here.





As previously reported, the NYPD charged Shaun Martin, 32, of Bayside, Queens, with DWI. The Post reported that Martin lives with his parents and works for his brother, a roofer. Said neighbors:

"I've known him his whole life. A very good kid,” Frank Mingione, 60, a neighbor said. “Never caused any trouble as far as I know. He's a very hard worker. He's always been a good person."

“He's very nice, a good kid. Very respectful,” said another neighbor who identified herself as Eleni. "He helps me with my grocery bags. I never see him drinking, you can tell."

Police say Martin also has a prior arrest record for DWI and cocaine possession. Depending on the report, the police found marijuana in his sock and hash in his the battered 2013 Nissan Altima he was driving.

Per the Daily News:

His white Nissan Altima was racing against another vehicle before jumping the curb in a horrifying mix of screeching brakes and twisted metal, an eyewitness said.

According to Metro, Ali, the most seriously injured of the East Village Farm workers, is expected to survive his injuries.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured (51 comments)

Report: The 9th Precinct issued 11 speeding tickets in 2012


[Photo via @WPIX]

In its coverage of this morning's probably drunken drag-racing crash on Second Avenue at East Fourth Street, Streetsblog reports the following. I wanted to highlight this here:

This crash occurred in the 9th Precinct, where officers issued 11 speeding tickets in all of 2012. To voice your concerns about neighborhood traffic safety directly to Deputy Inspector John G. Cappelmann, the commanding officer, go to the next precinct community council meeting. The 9th Precinct council meetings happen on the third Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at the precinct, 321 E. 5th Street. Call 212-477-7805 for information.

The City Council district where this crash occurred is represented by Rosie Mendez. Since March 2012, at least seven pedestrians and cyclists have been killed by motorists in Mendez’s district, including three people in 2013. To encourage Mendez to take action to improve street safety in her district and citywide, contact her at 212-677-1077 or @RosieMendez.

Monday, May 9, 2011

East Village Farm & Grocery reopens today

As we noted Friday, East Village Farm reopens today after that awful fire back in January. The Farm management seems pretty excited about reopening. In fact, they invited EV Grieve reader Pedro inside to take photos...


Pedro declined, though he did snap a few from the sidewalk...


Meanwhile, they were open yesterday just to sell flowers in honor of Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz's birthday. And Mother's Day.