A 60-year-old Staten Island mother is on life support after a speeding driver mowed her down and took off in Port Richmond on Father’s Day, her relatives said.
Diana Rolon was crossing a residential stretch of Decker Avenue to get to her parked car when she was struck, according to her family, who say neighbors watched in shock as a nurse sprinted over to help before first responders arrived. Now, as investigators work the case, her loved ones are pressing the city to finally slow traffic on their block.
What Family And Video Show
Relatives told reporters that Rolon had stepped into the street on Sunday to grab cash from her car when a speeding white BMW slammed into her and kept going. A nearby home security camera reportedly caught the car on video just seconds before impact. A neighbor who works as a nurse rushed in to give first aid, family members said, before paramedics took Rolon to a hospital, according to ABC7 New York.
Family Pleads For A Miracle
Rolon’s loved ones describe her as a 60-year-old mother, sister and aunt who loved her job as a school paraprofessional and took pride in brightening classrooms, her son Michael Haque told reporters. “We’re still praying for a miracle,” her niece Melissa Rolon said. The family said a GoFundMe has been launched to help cover medical and related expenses. “You’re going to pay for what you did to my sister,” her sister Sylvia Rolon said, per local reporting by ABC7 New York.
Neighbors Call For Safer Streets
Family members and neighbors say the long, open blocks in Port Richmond practically invite drivers to speed, and they want the city to install traffic-calming measures such as speed bumps before someone else is hurt. New York City’s automated speed camera program and Vision Zero street redesigns are among the tools the Department of Transportation uses to curb speeding and severe injuries in school zones and other high-risk areas, according to NYC DOT. As outlined in its Staten Island Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, the agency lists corridor-level projects and traffic-calming treatments meant to reduce pedestrian deaths and serious injuries across the borough, per NYC DOT.
Investigation Remains Active
Rolon’s family says they believe police will ultimately track down the driver. Neighbors have been trading surveillance clips and tips that they hope will help investigators close in on the hit-and-run car.
In the meantime, the Port Richmond block is in mourning. Relatives say they want city leaders to move on safety upgrades so no other family has to endure the same heartbreak.
