Language is interesting.
Local media are reporting that West Hartford police arrested the driver who collided with 19 year-old Isaac Alvarez on April 9, 2020, resulting in his death.
That phrasing makes it seem as if detectives were relentlessly trying to solve a great mystery in the almost three months since the young man died while skateboarding home from his shift at McDonald’s. It makes it seem as if nobody knew who was behind the wheel all this time.
The truth is that even back in April, the driver was known, as the database listed the the driver’s age, sex, zipcode, and what she was driving.
The person who left Alvarez’s body in the grass at the side of Albany Avenue in West Hartford, was allowed the privilege of turning herself in. So far, she has only been charged with evading responsibility. Once again, the Vulnerable User Law goes unused.
Justice when it comes to vulnerable road users is rare and insufficient, and as such, we feel no need to applaud anyone for doing the bare minimum.
