In September 2010, Jasmine Herron, 23, was biking along Atlantic Avenue when motorist Krystal Francis allegedly opened the door of her parked car, sending Herron swerving into the street and under a B45 bus. Herron was killed, but Francis claimed she had nothing to do with the accident, and she allegedly left the scene to attend a party. Now she's finally on trial, but the jury is not allowed to hear anything about Herron's death, because Francis is only charged with driving with a suspended license. At most, she'll do 30 days in jail.
The case ended up in Brooklyn Supreme Court because Francis was initially charged with a felony: leaving the scene of an accident. But the Daily News reports "the count was later dismissed because the law requires that the accident involve a moving vehicle, not a parked one." Supreme Court Justice Guy Managano told jurors yesterday, "The accident is irrelevant."
Prosecutor Nora Cronin says Francis admitted to cops she drove the car, and an EZ-pass record proved the car traveled to Brooklyn from Staten Island. But her attorney told the jury, "The prosecutor will not be able to produce a single witness that saw Krystal Francis operating the car." Asked about the charges Francis faces, Transportation Alternatives spokesman Michael Murphy tells us, "It's astonishing that ending a life in traffic counts for so little in our justice system. Dooring is illegal. In this case, it killed someone. But, once again, we see the illegal behavior that caused someone's death isn't even a factor."
