Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Ricatto campaign vehicle kills 9-year old

Child dies under wheels of RV
BY TONIA N. CIMINO and PETE DAVIS

An eight-year-old was struck and killed by an RV emblazoned with "Mike Ricatto Special Election 32nd City Council District" as he crossed the street.

The accident happened at Woodhaven Boulevard and Liberty Avenue, between Rockaway Boulevard and Liberty, at about 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 6.

A police source said that the child, reportedly a young boy, had his skull crushed. The source also told The Courier that the boy, who attended P.S. 63, was with another child when the fatal accident occurred.

"I saw a limp body covered with a white sheet," said a worker who answered the phone at P.C. Richard - located across the street from where the incident took place. "There were a whole bunch of police and ambulances," said the employee, who did not give a name.

The vehicle remained on the scene, and the driver, said the source, who had a suspended license, has been arrested.


Visit www.queenscourier.com for updates on this story.

May God bless this poor child's family. (For those of you who don't know, Mike Ricatto is a developer who doesn't live in the district but is who Serf Maltese put up to run for the seat because the other Republican in the race, Eric Ulrich, helped Tom Ognibene instead of Anthony Como in last June's special election.) Allowing an unlicensed driver to take the wheel of an oversized campaign vehicle is exactly the type of poor judgment we've come to expect from the Maltese crowd.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

So true. How can a person of such poor judgment represent others?

Anonymous said...

Was Fatso Como on the bus? That may help explain why the vehicle had trouble stopping.

Was there nobody on the campaign staff competent enough to ask the driver to show his license before letting him take the wheel? They weren't even smart enough to look out for their own safety?

The arrogance. Ricatto wants to be in on writing the laws for everyone else; he just won't take responsibility for his own behavior. Failing to manage your own campaign is a big sign of incompetence. Ricatto was required to verify the driver's legal right to move that vehicle. He failed. He's a failure.

Anonymous said...

No mention is made of the fact that Liberty & Cross Bay is a red light camera intersection. I can easily imagine the driver speeding up to make the light. These red light cameras cause more problems than they solve. It's about revenue folks and has nothing to do with our safety

Anonymous said...

There were other people on this bus. Who were they? Obviously, Ricatta thinks he's above the law anyway. That bus has been parked illegallly all over the area in recent days. The Maltese & Como crowd are slime. Maltese and company have a gripe against Ulrich for not supporting their guy. They have a gripe against Galluscio cuz his guy beat the sh..t out of Maltese. Ricatta's a windbag playing spoiler. He's also a dirty old man just like his pal Gallagher.

Anonymous said...

Isn't Mike Ricatto from Whitestone or somewhere in Northeastern Queens?

Anonymous said...

Isn't Ricatta the guy who owned the swim club by Union Turnpike that trashed the neighborhood with all his raucous parties a few years back after he didn't get approval to develop the property the way he wanted?

Anonymous said...

Yep, they are one and the same.

Anonymous said...

What a jerk he must be. If he's so careless he will let an unlicensed driver put his own fortune at risk, then how careless will he be with the city's business?

Anonymous said...

There should be a city law preventing this type of campaigning. It's loud and unsafe. It's been done by Nuzziato, Dooley and I believe even Maltese and others During the Fall election. It always take a death to stop something that is wrong for the community.
I really surprised that it hasn't happened sooner.

Anonymous said...

i'm not surprised, i cross this intersection every day, and it is a nightmare! the DOT needs to make it way more pedestrian friendly, and fast. what was all that talk about obama's infrastructure investment? we need it right here.

Anonymous said...

it is also done by democratic candidates as well in the area. not just by republicans.

Anonymous said...

i knew the boy rest in peace it was an accident im assuming

Anonymous said...

What connections does this guy have to that Council District? Has he been active in any community, civic, religious, or other neighborhood groups there? Obviously, he has money to throw around, but from talking to friends in the area nobody's ever heard of him before this week. It sounds like he is the proverbial carpetbagger.

Anonymous said...

Pray for the child and his family.