'Angelica's Law,' For Long Island Teen, Aimed At Drivers With Suspended Licenses Inked

GARDEN CITY, NY — A law named after a Sachem teenager killed in a crash with a car driven by a driver with multiple suspensions was inked by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday in Garden City, officials said.

Angelica’s Law, named after Angelica Nappi, decreases the number of prior license suspensions needed to qualify for first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a felony, from 10 to five.

It makes the offense punishable of up to two years imprisonment with a possible fine between $500 and $5,000.

Nappi, of Holbrook, was 14 in 2008 when she was struck and killed by a driver who did not have a valid license and who had more than five previous driver’s license suspensions, according to officials.

The law aims to keep drivers with prior suspensions off the road by applying a felony to repeat offenders who drive vehicles without a valid license after having committed five or more moving violations resulting in prior suspensions or revocations, Hochul's office said.

Hochul signed the legislation at the Department of Motor Vehicles’ Garden City location, joined by Nappi's family.

Angelica’s mother, Dawn Riendeau, said, "Almost 16 years later, my fight for safer roadways has been acted upon. I know Angelica is proud."

The measure passed the assembly and senate over the summer.

The bill has circulated in Albany since introduced by state Sen. Dean Murray when he was an assemblyman in 2010.

"After 13 years of pushing to get it passed, I am thrilled the Governor signed it into law," he said. "This will make New York roads much safer."

Hochul said public safety is her "priority, and she is committed "to doing everything possible to keep New Yorkers safe."

“After Angelica Nappi tragically lost her life more than a decade ago, her family have channeled their pain into purpose to push for this legislation," she said. "I’m honored to stand with Angelica’s family as we sign this law and make our roads safer for all.”

Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner and Chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Mark Schroeder said it's the agency's mission is to prevent tragedies like Nappi's death from "ever happening again."

"This law will put persistently dangerous drivers on notice," he said. "I applaud the Governor, Legislature, and Angelica’s mother for advocating for this important legislation that will make our streets safer for all.”

Sen. Kevin Thomas said that at a time when there is "an alarming rise in fatal crashes" across the island, "endangering people of all ages," he is thankful to Hochul for enacting Angelica’s Law, for Nappi "who had her life cruelly taken."

"Today is a triumph for Angelica’s mother, Dawn, who has fought to make our roads safer for over 15 years in her daughter’s memory because she knew these changes were possible and necessary," he said. "These changes will send a clear message to drivers who repeatedly break the law that they will face severe consequences for their criminal actions. Preventable deaths such as Angelica's have been caused by reckless and dangerous drivers – and they must be taken off the road.”

Assemb. Fred Thiele, who sponsored the measure in the assembly, noted how the island's public highways "can be a dangerous place."

"Improving highway safety must always be our paramount goal for New York," he said. "One of the greatest threats to the public is the proliferation of unlicensed drivers who continue to operate motor vehicles, despite being repeatedly cited for having a suspended or revoked license."

He called Nappi "a tragic victim of one of these reckless and irresponsible drivers" and thanked her mother "for her selfless persistence to ensure that other parents" do not suffer "the tragic loss she has endured."

"Her advocacy for 'Angelica's Law' was compelling to our colleagues in Albany," he said, adding that it will provide a meaningful deterrent to the unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

"The new law will reduce the number offenses by half for a felony conviction for aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle," he said, adding, that he is also grateful to Gov. Hochul for signing the legislation, "making our roads less perilous."

The car Nappi was in was broadsided by a Jeep driven by a man with seven previous driver's license suspensions, according to Murray's office. The driver ignored seven license suspensions and then ran a red light before the crash, and only faced a misdemeanor, CBS News previously reported.