The West Side Highway (or 12th Ave, or West Street) runs the entire length of Manhattan's west side. It has various speed limits ranging as high as 50. But in midtown it is 35mph.
The driver is wholly and completely at fault here. Turns out he is a mentally unstable guy with one dead arm from a prior suicide attempt, lives in a homeless shelter, and had *9* prior license suspensions. There were numerous prior complaints about his safety practices, including even from fellow drivers.
The car service company that employed him basically put a gun to Bob Simon's head the minute he got in the car. They deserve to be prosecuted and certainly sued into non-existence. The driver deserves to go to jail, where he will have three squares and a bed, for a long time. But it's the company that employed him that needs to be held truly to account. How many other car service drivers out there are like this guy, a basic, rolling menace to society? RIP Bob Simon, a great journalist. What a stupid way for him to die after all he's been through.
But as for speed limits, it's 35 in midtown on the WSH, and the lights are timed so there is no point to going any faster than that. You won't arrive sooner. This guy apparently jammed on the gas instead of the brakes after he sideswiped the Mercedes. But from the look of things I'd say he was doing 60. A Lincoln town car is a damn big piece of steel to crumple like that.
If you ever find yourself in a NYC taxi or black car, two things. 1) Put on your seat belt. No matter how short the trip or how heavy the traffic, it could save your life. 2) If your driver is speeding it is entirely within your rights as a passenger to ask him to slow down, and to ask to be let out of the car if you are uncomfortable with the driving, without paying the fare. Same with cell phone, texting, etc. Tell them to stop, now, and pay attention and drive the speed limit. You don't have to accept that shit.
I hope this driver never gets behind the wheel again. He could have killed many times. Bob Simon drew the unlucky card. But this guy was going to kill someone eventually. The CEO of his employer needs to face charges.
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