The New York City teens thought the officers were there to check on their well-being, considering that they had both been hit by a car while trying to cross the street. But it turns out that while the teens were in the hospital being checked by doctors, the cops were there to give them jaywalking tickets.
According to the New York Post, Beanca Moise and Jo-Anna Thiboutot, both 16, were given jaywalking tickets as they lay in the Kings County Hospital Center March 14 because they reportedly had been attempting to cross a Brooklyn street midblock when a car struck them. The driver was not issued a citation because, according to a witness who spoke to police, the driver had the right of way.
"It was very insulting," Beanca told the Post. "I got hit by a car, and they came to the hospital, not even checking if I was OK, and just gave us the ticket."
According to the cops who spoke with the Post, the citations issued to the teens were mandatory, given Mayor Bill de Blasio's new Vision Zero initiative, which attempts to crack down on reckless drivers and pedestrians in hopes of stopping traffic deaths and injuries.
"[There is] no such thing as a 'zero tolerance' policy on jaywalking," Wiley Norvell, a spokesman for City Hall, told Gothamist. "Enforcement decisions are made precinct by precinct as commanding officers see fit, based on conditions they see on the ground."
Both teens suffered deep bruises and bone contusions. Beanca remains on crutches weeks after being hit. Both of the teens' parents have hired a lawyer and plan to fight the summonses and sue the driver, according to the Post.
Read more at the New York Post.