This column, from the weekly opinion piece MATTER OF FACT, first appeared on BrooklynReporter.com, the Home Reporter and Spectator dated February 24, 2023
On the morning of Monday, February 13, a man drove a U-Haul truck through Bay Ridge on what Councilman Brannan described as “a random rampage.” He sped through intersections against red lights, as well as on sidewalks, slamming into cyclists, moped riders, and a police car. Nine people in all were hit. Eight of those suffered injuries and one died.
YiJie Ye was on his motorized scooter, making a delivery, as he often did, when the U-Haul driver intentionally drove into him. Ye did not survive. He was a single father to two sons and a daughter, all teenagers. He had dreams of seeing his kids go to college and contribute to society.
Three years ago, Ye was involved in a crash with another vehicle while making a delivery, leaving him injured and unable to work. However, he was soon back on his motorized scooter so that he could support his kids. Ye came to the United States eighteen years ago and worked hard, saving money so he could buy a scooter to make deliveries. His family has set up a GoFundMe to support his children, which has been verified by Councilman Brannan’s office. Donations can be made by searching “YiJie Ye, U-Haul Truck Rampage Victim” at gofundme.com.
Mohammed Zakaria “Zaki” Salah Rakchi, 36, was critically injured during the miles-long road rampage, and at the time this column was written, was in a medically-induced coma, fighting for his life. Rakchi, the first to be struck by the U-Haul, was also a delivery worker. His distraught wife told local media about how the family emigrated from Algeria a few years ago with their children, ages three and seven.
Ever Coy, 33, an immigrant from Guatemala, has been living in Bay Ridge for the past eight years. He has worked hard as a dishwasher, farm worker, construction worker and was currently a delivery worker. He explained that he has been working hard to support his parents and his eleven brothers and sisters. His leg was badly injured when he was struck and doctors say he will not be able to walk for six to seven months, making it impossible to earn a living as a delivery worker. Councilman Brannan’s office has verified a fundraiser for Coy that can be found by searching “Every Coy – Deliverista Injury Fund” at gofundme.com.
Delivery workers became a lifeline to local businesses, as well as all of us who patronize them, during the early days of the pandemic when indoor dining was suspended. We can now visit our favorite eateries again, but ordering delivery has remained a huge stream of revenue for local businesses, and it is all made possible by delivery workers.
The International Alliance of Delivery Workers and Los Deliveristas Unidos have advocated for the rights of these independent workers, both for their ability to be treated fairly and to be safe. They won a huge victory in September, 2021 when the City Council passed a package of bills that the mayor signed into law, of which Brannan was a sponsor, improving working conditions for these delivery workers.
Weng Sor, 62, had a history of serious mental health issues and his son said when he was off his medication, he was a danger to himself and others. The NYPD said that he hads a psychotic break that day and that he explained he was intentionally trying to hit people.
The NYPD saved many more lives that day. Some officers raced a few blocks over from where the first victims were hit, to Bay Ridge Prep. They knew that an Open Streets in front of the school often had students and teachers using the street for outdoor space. Bodycam footage shows officers hurrying kids off the street and into the building. A few minutes later, the U-Haul passed near the school.
New York Police Commissioner Sewell was asked about the police vehicle seen on video chasing the U-Haul at high speeds up onto, and then along, sidewalks, which she said was under investigation. The NYPD’s own policy on vehicle pursuits stresses that conditions such as time of day, location and population density must be factored in, and limit when a chase can occur. The U-Haul attack was an extreme situation, but clearly, speeding behind the truck on sidewalks on the busy avenues of Bay Ridge at 11:00 AM was not safe or capable of stopping the driver. Fortunately, nobody else was hurt by the trialing police vehicle on the sidewalk and the NYPD was able to subdue the driver miles away in Red Hook.
