New York City passes bill enhancing penalties in hit-and-run incidents

NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York City lawmakers passed a new bill Tuesday aimed at enhancing the city's Vision Zero initiative to reduce pedestrian deaths.

The new law focuses on hit-and-run incidents.

City Council members were joined by the mother of a teenager killed by a hit-and-run driver nearly a year ago.

Martha Puruncajas spoke out about her experience as police continue the search for the driver who killed her son, Luis Bravo.

The goal of the Justice for Hit and Run Victims Act is to deter drivers from leaving the scene of an accident by enacting grater penalties in such incidents.

The bill establishes civil penalties up to $10,000 on hit-and-run drivers in incidents resulting in death, on top of any criminal charges. A City Council panel can now hand down the fine regardless of a judge's conviction. However, the fine can be appealed after it's paid.

The passage of the groundbreaking legislation comes five days before the one year anniversary of Bravo's death on September 28, 2013.