NYPD to Drop Charges for New Jersey Hit-and-Run Driver Due to Jurisdictional Conflict

Are New Jersey drivers getting away with hit-and-run crimes in New York City due to jurisdictional issues?

That’s the question raised in a Downtown Express article, which reported that the driver who hit 37-year-old Heather Hensl in April – causing a large face laceration and fractures in her leg – will not be prosecuted due to jurisdictional issues between New York and New Jersey authorities.

According to the report, Hensl, a mother of two, was struck on Beekman Street while walking on the sidewalk only feet away from the New York Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital.

The report claimed that there was video of the accident that showed the hit and run driver backing up several times to maneuver enough room to drive on the sidewalk and pass traffic.

“Since the woman lives in New Jersey, she said she was told that there was a jurisdiction issue — if it had been a more serious crime, such as a homicide, things would be different,” the report stated.

The report quoted Hensl as saying:

“My lawyer received a call on Saturday from the detective handling the case. They have requested the owner of the vehicle to come in for questioning … but if she fails to come in, which she is perfectly allowed to do, they will likely be closing the case.”