Police agencies throughout New York should immediately suspend purchases of Ford Crown Victorias for use as cruisers amid renewed safety concerns, a state senator said this week.
From News Wire Services
Thursday’s death of State Trooper Robert Ambrose in a fiery crash on the state Thruway in Yonkers once again raises questions about the safety of the Crown Victorias when they are hit by another vehicle from behind at high speeds, State Sen. Nicholas Spano said.
“It’s a death that should have been prevented, and that’s why I am calling on the state of New York to impose an immediate moratorium on the purchase of additional Ford vehicles until evidence can be produced that these vehicles can safely withstand rear impacts,” said Spano (R-Westchester).
Calling Crown Victorias “potential incinerators,” Spano said he might have the Senate Investigations Committee, which he chairs, probe the safety of using them as police cruisers.
Meanwhile, Rockland Assemblyman Alexander Gromack called on New York Sens. Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer to push for a federal investigation of the safety of the Crown Victorias used by police agencies.
At least 13 police officers nationwide have died in the past two decades after crashes in which their Crown Victorias caught fire, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.