September 17, 2010
REP. GENGA CALLS FOR CHANGES IN DMV LAWS
TO KEEP MULTIPLE SUSPENSION DRIVERS OFF ROADS
State Rep. Henry Genga (D-East Hartford) said Friday that state laws must be tightened to keep unsafe motorists with multiple driver’s license violations and suspensions off the roads.
“Drivers who flagrantly disregard the safety and peace of the public should face stiffer penalties. Driving is a privilege – not a right – and we have to make sure we keep the public safe from those who flagrantly disregard our laws,” Genga said. “We have to get some of these outrageous drivers off our roads.”
Genga said Sen. Donald DeFronzo (D-New Britain) and Rep. Antonio Guerrera (D-Rocky Hill), the co-chairmen of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, have agreed to hold a hearing on the matter when the 2011 General Assembly session begins in January.
Genga said he and Sen. Gary LeBeau (D-East Hartford) have been pushing for legislation to tighten driving laws since earlier this year when an East Hartford man who had been ticketed 17 times for motor vehicle violations was cited again for driving fast on Central Avenue, a residential area in East Hartford.
“Maybe, if we had stricter laws in place, we could have prevented not only the terrorizing of the Central Avenue neighborhood in East Hartford earlier this year, but also the tragic death of Trooper Kenneth Hall recently on I-91,” Genga said.
Hall was killed Sept. 2 while making a traffic stop on the side on I-91. Police said Michael Pajak, 32, of Enfield, was speeding on I-91 when he lost control of his pickup truck and smashed into Hall’s cruiser.
Pajak has had 10 license suspensions and a lengthy record of convictions involving drunken driving and failure to appear in court.
Genga said discussion of the new legislation that he and LeBeau are seeking began earlier this year after East Hartford residents complained about Kemar Manboard, 23, who they said was driving fast on their street and terrorizing their neighborhood.
Genga said police have told him that Manboard, who lives on Central Avenue, has a lengthy history of motor vehicle violations. Of the 17 times he has been ticketed in the past four years, at least four have been for reckless driving — a serious offense that can result in a suspended license. But Manboard's license wasn't suspended. Instead, many of those violations were either wiped from his record or never resulted in a conviction.
Genga said town officials and police complain that their hands are tied by state law.
“After consultation with the mayor, police department, DMV and some residents, Sen. LeBeau and I plan to have legislation introduced in the next General Assembly session,” Genga said.
“The legislation will address the weakness in the current law and improve the quality of life,” he said. “This legislation is a no-brainer and the people should never have suffered this where a driver gets away with it.”