A city official yesterday promised the grieving mother of a 4-year-old struck and killed by an SUV a “full investigation” into whether the response by emergency workers was delayed.
During a hearing on a new 911 call system that’s been criticized for potentially dangerous hiccups, Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway insisted the technology had worked that morning — but promised the parents of Ariel Russo a full reckoning.
“The driver’s criminal behavior caused this death, but a critical question is whether the city’s emergency response was as fast as it could’ve been — and if not, why not?” he said. “We’re conducting a full investigation to answer that question.”
Ariel’s parents and some witnesses said a faster response might have made the difference between life and death.
“On that morning, time was of the essence . . . but Ariel waited eight minutes for an ambulance to arrive,” testified Ariel’s mother, Sofia Russo.