Family in Rockland turns pain into purpose two years after losing son
Dariel Rivera, 18, was riding a scooter to work at FedEx when he was hit and killed on State Route 303 in West Nyack in July 2023.
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The Rivera family has been fighting for justice since losing Dariel two years ago on this day.
As News 12 has reported, the 18-year-old was riding a scooter to work at FedEx when he was hit and killed on State Route 303 in West Nyack in July 2023.
The driver, Patrick Sharkey, is currently serving one to three years behind bars since last September after pleading guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, driving with a revoked license and circumventing an interlock device.
"We have to find ways of closing the gap of people getting behind the wheel and still doing reckless things," said Sam Rivera, Dariel's father.
The Rivera's, their friends and others met Monday where the incident happened two years ago.
A white "ghost" scooter now stands there as a memorial.
The family has taken trips to Albany and been speaking with lawmakers in an effort to help protect other families in the future.
They have even joined "Families for Safe Streets" and shared new laws they'd like to see passed in New York in the next legislative session as part of their advocacy.
"This bill addresses the worst of the worst speeders," said Dahlia Goldenberg, the associate director with Families for Safe Streets.
One bill is named "Stop Super Speeders" which would require a speed monitoring device for drivers who get more than 16 speeding tickets in a year.
Another bill is named "Defined Safe Passing" which would require drivers to give pedestrians at least three feet of room.
It was an emotional day for many there as they called for action on the two-year mark of Dariel's passing.
State lawmakers who represent Rockland, state Sen. Bill Weber, State Assemblyman Patrick Carroll, and a representative from State Assemblyman Aron Wieder's office, were there to vow to work on these bills to become law next session.
Spring Valley village trustee Yisroel Eisenbach was also there in support.
His 4 year old daughter, Goldy, was hit and killed by an alleged drunk driver, Axel Lopez-Santiago, who had a previous DWI conviction in 2018.
