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)
I tell you, no matter how grievous the asshole, there is always someone ready to say he was a "good kid".
ReplyDelete.
As soon as I saw Sean spelled with an SH & U= nothing good would come of this.
Sometimes decent people do dumb things...and they wind up paying for it their entire lives. Having said that, I hope the injured worker, whom I used to see just about every day, makes a full recovery. My thoughts are with him.
ReplyDelete@ Uncle Waltie: I'd agree with you, but this POS has previous arrests for drunk driving and cocaine. This is not a decent person who happened to have a lapse in judgment; it's a piece of garbage that should rot in jail.
ReplyDelete10:25 PM: then let him get what's coming to him, to the nth degree. At some point, being an asshole catches up with you.
ReplyDeletePS: When I used to drink and do the C-word...I always walked extra slowly.
PPS: I have witnesses.
Lock him up for breaking the law yet again/injuring people and ban him from driving for life.
ReplyDeleteYour license should be suspended a year after your first DUI, 5 years for the second, life for third. If you injury anyone at all even on your first, banned for life.
Its not like he was just driving home from a bar, he was drunk and racing at 85 mph. But the law is soft on actual drunk drivers who cause damage -
ReplyDeleteYep. Fuck him and his girlfriend who was wandering around the accident scene trying to reclaim her stuff.
ReplyDeleteAlways gotta love how former/'sober' lushes [and usually pot smokers -or worse-] always try to excuse shitty behaviour when someone acts like doosh because their brain chemistry is shorted by excessive crap.
ReplyDeleteOther people in the news who have been described by neighbors as "Nice guys who never caused any trouble."
ReplyDeleteAriel Castro, the Cleveland Kidnapper
Ted Bundy, the charming serial killer
Robert Chambers, the Preppie Killer of Jennifer Levin, was often described as charming
Jeffrey Dahmer, whose neighbors said he never bothered anyone (except when he was killing them)
Columbine HS killer Eric Harris, described as a nice guy, except for when he was shooting up the cafeteria
Son of Sam David Berkowitz was described as quiet, a nice guy, before he plunged a city into panic and chaos
Just sayin'...you really don't know your neighbors as well as you might think...
this is one of the best delis that sells the most beautiful flowers in the east village.
ReplyDeleteit's sad that this had to happen. my well wishes to the injured worker.
I agree with Uncle Waltie on all counts.
ReplyDeleteForget about attempted manslaughter, this asshole should be charged with attempted murder.
ReplyDelete