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Turn Yourself In, Politicians Demand of 2 Brooklyn Hit-And-Run Drivers

By  Gwynne Hogan and Maya Rajamani | July 26, 2017 3:23pm 

 Brooklyn politicians joined forces to demand that the two hit and run drivers responsible for the deaths of two Brooklyn residents over the weekend turn themselves into the police.
Brooklyn politicians joined forces to demand that the two hit and run drivers responsible for the deaths of two Brooklyn residents over the weekend turn themselves into the police.
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GREENPOINT — Brooklyn politicians are demanding that the hit-and-run drivers responsible for the deaths of two Brooklyn residents over the weekend turn themselves into the police.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Public Advocate Letitia James, City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, Stephen Levin and Mark Treyger gathered on the corner of Franklin and Noble streets Tuesday afternoon — the corner where Neftaly Ramirez, 27, was struck and killed by a garbage truck Saturday morning —  to demand justice for the two men.

"I’m appealing to the perpetrator’s basic humanity and asking them to turn themselves in," said Levin, who represents Greenpoint. "Neftaly Ramirez was just leaving work, engaged to be married, and by all accounts a beloved member of the community, and his life was cut short."

Police said they tracked down the private dump truck registered in New Jersey to the company Action Carting on Wednesday, but no arrests have been made.

A day after Ramirez — a bar back at pizza restaurant Paulie Gee's — was killed, 18-year-old skateboarder Alejandro Tello was run down in Gravesend by a BMW turning right onto West 10th Street as he rode his skateboard along Avenue T.

A graphic video captured the fatal collision, in which the driver of the BMW sped off, while bystanders ran to the teenager's aid.

“He was preparing to go to college and pursue a career in law enforcement," said Gravesend councilman Treyger. "He did not have the option of walking or riding away from the scene of the crash that ultimately resulted in him losing his life."

Police tracked the car down not too far from the scene of the fatal crash, but they're still investigating who the driver was at the time of the fatal crash, a spokesman said.

Nine cyclists and 47 pedestrians had been killed on New York City streets, according to Vision Zero statistics through the end of June, the most recent statistics available.

► READ MORE: Police I.D. Garbage Truck Used in Fatal Hit-and-Run of Greenpoint Cyclist

Anyone with information in regards to this incident can call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).