Already making a positive impact on Long Island roadway safety
Sixteen long years after the fatal car crash that took the life of 14-year-old Angelica Nappi, change is being made. The law was signed into practice in December of 2023 by New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and became effective Friday, November 1, 2024. This law now makes the felony of driving without a valid license applicable to reckless drivers with only five previous suspensions instead of 10. All the hard work and lobbying by her family, friends, and community has finally paid off.
The Origin of Angelica’s Law
On February 19 of 2008, 14-year-old Angelica Nappi was a passenger in a vehicle when it was struck by another driver. Unlicensed driver Stephen Catalano had seven previous suspensions on their license when he ran a red light before crashing into the vehicle with Angelica. Ms. Nappi was transported to the hospital and died of brain injuries within days of being admitted. The driver and three other passengers in Angelica’s vehicle were injured. Catalano only had seven previous suspensions, therefore he was not able to be charged with a felony. He was also drug tested during his arrest and was found to be impaired by drugs at the time. Catalano received the minimum sentencing for the misdemeanor—180 days incarcerated— and received five years of probation for criminally negligent homicide. Since the day of Angelica’s crash, her mother Dawn Nappi and the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) organization have worked tirelessly to keep Angelica’s memory alive and to ensure that no other child’s life is lost to reckless driving.
Angelica’s Law: Already making a positive impact on LI roadway safety
As of Friday, November 1, 2024, Angelica’s Law went into effect in New York State. Angelica’s Law will now allow law enforcement to charge drivers with five previous suspensions with felony first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. The first person to be charged under Angelica’s Law was 58-year-old Lisa Larkin of Sound Beach. Larkin was arrested on Monday, November 4 after a routine traffic stop at Exit 67 of the Long Island Expressway heading westbound. Larkin was charged under Angelica’s Law after the arresting officer made note of her 33 previous suspensions on five different occasions. Her additional suspensions had come from failing to appear on summonses. A court date for her arraignment is to be scheduled at a later date.
Other Advocacy Efforts to Keep LI Roads and Pedestrians Safe
Angelica’s Law is just one of several laws recently passed by NY State that aims to improve safety for all roadway users. Other proposed pieces of legislation aim to strengthen existing laws and penalties for violators of those laws. One example of such legislation was prompted by the death by motor vehicle of Nicholas Puzio.
In March of 2023, 25-year-old Nicholas Puzio— know by his friends and family as Nick— was struck by two vehicles while crossing Route 112 in Patchogue. After being struck, both vehicles fled the scene leaving Nick alone to die of his injuries. Sponsored by NYS Senator Dean Murray, Nick’s Law would increase the penalty of those convicted of fleeing the scene of a crash that involves a death. Nick’s Law is currently in committee with the state Senate.
The fight for pedestrian safety and driver accountability is ongoing, but headway is being made. With Angelica’s Law going into effect one week ago today, Nick’s Law being lobbied for in Albany, and other continued advocacy efforts to improve roadway safety in New York State and on Long Island, a bright future is ahead. Drive safe, walk safe, and live safe, Long Island.
About Walk Safe Long Island (WSLI)
WSLI is a pedestrian and cyclist safety campaign that aims to teach Long Islanders about walking and biking safely through law-based education. WSLI is produced for the New York Coalition for Transportation Safety by the Long Island Health Collaborative, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with a grant from the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee.
New York State is taking numerous measures to tackle the issue of pedestrian and cyclist safety, all of which culminate in the New York State Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP). The plan emphasizes making streets safer by implementing the “Three Es—” engineering, enforcement, and education. Walk Safe Long Island is part of the third “E,” education.
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