TEN YEARS AFTER KILLING OF QUEENS GRANDMOTHER, ALICE’S BILL THIS CLOSE TO BECOMING LAW
Assemblyman Weprin Pushes for Final Passage of Bill to Crack Down on Staged Auto Accidents
New York, NY–May 19, 2013…Ten years following the death of Alice Ross, a Queens grandmother who was killed in a staged an auto accident by criminals seeking to exploit the state’s no-fault insurance laws, Alice’s Bill is extremely close to finally becoming law. The bill’s top champion Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Queens), whose district was home to Alice Ross, joined today with driver-safety group New Yorkers Stand Against Insurance Fraud (NYSAIF) to urge for final passage.
Alice Ross, a 71-year-old wife and grandmother was killed in 2003 when her car was intentionally struck by a vehicle. Mrs. Ross’s car struck a tree, resulting in her death. Staged automobile accidents are a pervasive crime in New York State, due to loopholes in no-fault insurance laws. In addition to the danger to drivers, New Yorkers have paid an estimated $1 billion in extra auto insurance premiums over the past five years because of these scams.
“Alice’s Bill,” a measure to make staged accidents a standalone crime in New York passed the state senate last week. Slightly different versions of the bill passed both houses of the legislature last year, but Assemblyman Weprin is working to ensure consensus language is reached and the bill makes it to Governor’s Cuomo’s desk for signage.
“On the tenth anniversary of her death, I want to go to Alice’s family this year and finally be able to tell them this bill has become a law,” said Assemblyman Weprin. “We are incredibly close to getting this done but we’re headed into the final month of this year’s legislative session and I’m urging everyone of the importance of making this bill a priority. We absolutely cannot go another year without putting a law in place to crack down on this crime.”
Former Kings County Assistant District Attorney and NYSAIF spokesman David Schwartz praised Assemblyman Weprin’s leadership on the bill saying, “Thanks to the diligence of Assemblyman Weprin and his colleagues in the legislature, we came very close to making Alice’s Law a reality. For Alice’s family and the millions of drivers across the state, let this be the year that we send a message to criminals that New York will no longer tolerate this crime. I urge the legislature to get this bill to Governor Cuomo before the end of session.”
