ALBANY — Six times he has traveled from the city to Albany to lobby for a crucial safe streets bill. And six times, he’s had his hand shaken, his smile returned, his back patted.
And now, Darnell Sealy-McCrorey, whose daughter Niyell McCrorey was killed by an SUV driver on the Upper West Side last year, knows what it feels like to be betrayed by Albany pols.
Over the weekend, we learned that the legislature is not going to pass the Stop Super Speeders bill this year. The reasons are as numerous as they are incomprehensible (full story here), especially considering that the bill is the ultimate no-brainer of politics: It would require drivers who have racked up six speeding tickets in any 12-month period to have speed-limiting devices installed in their cars. It wouldn’t take away their cars. It wouldn’t deprive them of their ability to drive.
It would simply make it impossible for them to drive recklessly.
Sealy-McCrorey and other members of Families for Safe Streets have painstakingly answered lawmakers’ many questions, but the Assembly (June 17) and the Senate (June 12) will adjourn before passing the bill.
We talked to Sealy-McCrorey about his daughter’s death, his own new life as a safe streets advocate, his many trips to Albany and his frustrations.
During my daughter's vigil, which was back in November 2024, I met the organizer of Families for Safe Streets, Alexis Sfikas. I didn't know anything about the organization. She was very humble and down to earth. She helped me at the scene with questions the media had. I had a plethora of news and media people come out to my daughter's site the day of vigil.
From there I became a member.
I went to a few of their support groups, and I just started participating, advocating, advocating, advocating.
It gives me peace to advocate for others, and also be there for people who are in need, who need someone to speak to.
I wouldn't know anything about lobbying if it wasn't for Families for Safe Streets. I'm gaining experience from the lobbying and I’ve given my testimony several times. I've been to the City Council several times.
Man, I just really hope all this work isn't for nothing.
When I talk about my daughter to legislators, they acknowledge that my daughter's been deceased, so I respect that. I just really hope that they don't take my testimony for granted, because it's not easy giving a testimony in front of hundreds of people, thousands of people.
Some people listen. Some people, I don't know if they are listening, because we still don’t see the bill passed.
I just want them to understand that if Stop Super Speeders had been passed before, it could have saved my daughter's life and others’ lives.
Intelligent speed assistance is technology that can help prevent more traffic violence. You can suspend someone’s license, but it’s not really effective. Seventy-five percent of people with suspended licenses are driving.
I want some answers. That’s my purpose for being up here. If I wasn't really interested in supporting this and fighting for everybody, I wouldn't be here.
I could have been at the beach today. We lobby because we really need this done, like today.
We've made some progress, but we're here because we need more progress.
