The family of a Japanese student hit and killed by an NYPD car will get more than a half million dollars in their settlement with the city.
The family of a Japanese student mowed down by an NYPD patrol car will receive more than a half million dollars in their settlement with the city, it was revealed Wednesday.
Embittered by how court proceedings were progressing, Ryo Oyamada’s family agreed to the settlement on Tuesday, officials said.
“This was a tragic incident. Settling the litigation was in the City’s best interest, ” a spokesman for the City Law Department said Wednesday.
Oyamada, 24, was struck and killed by a police car while crossing 40th Ave. between 10th and 11th Sts. in Long Island City on Feb. 21,2013.
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Although attorneys for the Oyamada family had proven that the driver, Officer Darren Ilardi, did not have his emergency lights on and was traveling down the middle of the two-way street at more than 60 mph, the arduous court and settlement proceedings led them to believe they would get no justice for Ryo.
“In cases like this, people are not primarily concerned with making cash settlements, they are outraged. They want to see consequences and a complete and transparent investigation, ” said attorney Steve Vacarro, who represented Oyamada’s family. “In this case the system was not equipped to bring consequences to the person behind the wheel because he was a New York City police officer. There were a great deal of protections and restrictions on what evidence could be disclosed publicly.”
There were also serious concerns about how the NYPD investigated the collision.
“It was surprising how the NYPD conducted their investigation, ” Vacarro said. “They didn’ t look at several factors which they would have done in a case with private drivers. Usually they are professional investigators, but this was not an ordinary investigation.”
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In a statement, the Oyamada family said the settlement “was not justice.”
“Officer Ilardi should be held accountable for killing Ryo, as he sped recklessly next to public housing where children, families and pedestrians are always walking, ” the family said.
The family has not been told if the Ilardi would be disciplined over the fatal collision, Vacarro said.
The NYPD did not immediately return an email asking about Ilardi’s current status in the department.
