Photo: Facebook/Dorothy BrunsPeople are outraged to know that Dorothy Bruns, whose car crashed and killed two little children on March 5, 2018 at a Park Slope intersection, already received 12 summons for breaking traffic rules. They are asking authorities why a repeat offender was allowed to drive in the first place. Police are investigating the fatal crash, and its circumstances.
Tony-winning Broadway star Ruthie Ann Miles and Lauren Lew were with their kids, four-year-old Abigail Blumenstein and one-year old Joshua Lew, when a car accelerated and violently crashed into them. This happened at 12:40 p.m. on Monday, March 5, 2018, at a busy intersection in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York City.
Two Children Tragically Die
The car dragged Joshua’s stroller for 350 feet before slamming into a parked car and coming to a stop. However, by then, it was too late for the two kids. Both Abigail and Joshua died at the scene, and their mothers suffered injuries. Miles was pregnant and initially in critical condition, as her colleagues sent messages to her lamenting her loss.
License Taken Away
The car was driven by a Staten Islander named Dorothy Bruns, who says that she suffered a seizure just before the horrific incident. The New York Police Department stripped Bruns of her driver’s license on Tuesday, March 6, and found that she already received 12 summons for various violations in the last couple of years.
Here is a table of every summons issued to Dorothy Bruns:
| S.No. | Number Plate | Issue Date | Violation | County | Issuing Agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | HFN1860 | 07/29/2016 | PHTO SCHOOL ZN SPEED VIOLATION | ST | DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION |
| 2. | HFN1860 | 10/12/2016 | FAILURE TO STOP AT RED LIGHT | BK | DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION |
| 3. | HFN1860 | 11/13/2016 | NO STANDING-DAY/TIME LIMITS | R | TRAFFIC |
| 4. | HFN1860 | 12/08/2016 | PHTO SCHOOL ZN SPEED VIOLATION | BK | DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION |
| 5. | HFN1860 | 02/13/2017 | FAILURE TO STOP AT RED LIGHT | QN | DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION |
| 6. | HFN1860 | 02/15/2017 | NO STANDING-DAY/TIME LIMITS | K | POLICE DEPARTMENT |
| 7. | HFN1860 | 02/27/2017 | PHTO SCHOOL ZN SPEED VIOLATION | BK | DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION |
| 8. | HFN1860 | 03/30/2017 | PHTO SCHOOL ZN SPEED VIOLATION | QN | DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION |
| 9. | HFN1860 | 04/11/2017 | FAILURE TO STOP AT RED LIGHT | BK | DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION |
| 10. | HFN1860 | 04/17/2017 | FAILURE TO STOP AT RED LIGHT | BK | DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION |
| 11. | HFN1860 | 05/12/2017 | FIRE HYDRANT | Q | TRAFFIC |
| 12. | HFN1860 | 10/18/2017 | NO PARKING-DAY/TIME LIMITS | K | POLICE DEPARTMENT |
A Regular Repeat Offender
Dorothy Bruns was reportedly behind the wheel in all 12 traffic safety law instances were violated. The NYPD said that her car was cited on four previous occasions for running red lights, and four more for speeding through a school zone. Bruns received a summons for beginning in July 2016 to October 2017. She paid $1,145 in fines and still needed to pay $120.60.
Driver Faces Possible Manslaughter Charges
Police confirmed that Bruns had a history of breaking traffic laws, and her license should have been taken away earlier. Right now, no charges have been filed against her. But Bruns still faces possible manslaughter charges in the deaths of Abigail and Joshua.
A source said that the NYPD will have to prove that Bruns, who was reportedly fighting a variety of medical problems including multiple sclerosis, was driving a car against the orders of a doctor.
Also Read: Things to Know about Ruthie Ann Miles & Her Daughter Abigail Blumenstein
Too Little Too Late
Although none of the earlier summonses were for such a terrible accident or fatality, police should have taken away Bruns’ driving privileges a long time ago. City Council member Brad Lander of Park Slope tweeted about the late decision to take away her license saying:
“One small step that should have happened many months ago. But glad it’s done. We also have work to do to make sure that people with abhorrent drivers’ records like this have their licenses taken away before they can kill our kids.”
Police to Review Driver’s Medical History
It is not clear at this time why Bruns was allowed to drive when she had ongoing medical issues. Bruns, who was still hospitalized as of Tuesday, March 6, at the NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn, was taken into police custody after the incident.
A source close to the NYPD said, “The case remains open. Usually, in cases like these, the DA and [NYPD] arrest the driver for manslaughter. That still could happen.” Police and the Brooklyn District Attorney will review Bruns’ medical history and tests taken during her recent hospitalizations.
Preventive Measures to be Taken
Some people believe that with such a large number of violations against her and a history of health problems to compound it, Dorothy Bruns should never have been driving her car in the first place. Now, the administration is promising to install further safety measures like changing intersections and putting up cameras to ensure that such senseless tragedies never happen again. If these new measures work, then the deaths of Abigail Blumenstein and Joshua Lew wouldn’t be in vain.
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