New legislation will be introduced Monday to make it a more serious crime to drive with a suspended license after a Queens boy was killed by a truck driver who should not have been on the road.
The driver, Mauricio Osorio-Palominos, 51, was arrested after the crash for driving with a suspended license, but he was hit with only a misdemeanor, which is typically punished by a fine or up to a year in jail.
Queens state Sen. Michael Gianaris will introduce legislation that raises the crime to a felony if a driver with a suspended license kills or seriously hurts someone. Drivers would also have their license plates impounded if they lose their licenses.
“This person should not have been on the road, and a little boy is now dead because of it,” Gianaris said.
“He knew it was suspended. People like this are fundamentally bad drivers and put pedestrians at risk whenever they go behind the wheel.”
Drivers with suspended licenses have higher rates of killing pedestrians, Gianaris said.