By Scott Sieber
But it was also a day of tribute when some 200 of her friends, family members and neighbors stood by her side to remember her son, 11-year-old Vasean Alleyne, whose home block at 72nd Avenue between 150th Street and 153rd Street in Kew Gardens Hills was renamed Vasean Phillip Alleyne Memorial Avenue.Joined by City Councilman James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows), state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) and members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the new street name was unveiled near the same intersection where Vasean and his friend, Angel Reyes, 12, were struck by John Wirta, 56, of Fresh Meadows as the two boys were crossing the street in October 2004. At the time, the maximum sentence was one year in prison for Wirta, an unacceptable notion for the grieving mother. She lobbied Albany, and in record time, pushed state lawmakers into changing the law.. Earlier this month Gov. Pataki signed Vasean's Law, which increases the penalty for drunk drivers who kill or injure someone without making prosecutors prove recklessness or criminal negligence, although the new penalties are not retroactive and will not be applied in the prosecution of Wirta. Wirta was in the final stages of closing a plea deal Tuesday with Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, which would include 60 days' of jail time, three years' probation, 15 days of community service, participation in a drinking and driving program and the six-month loss of his license, law enforcement sources said. Prosecutors expected to reach an agreement this week.With her son's name on the law and with the street sign in place, the name of Vasean Alleyne will be permanently etched into the framework of both the state and in her neighborhood, Dixon said.”I hope people are reminded of how avoidable his death was,” she said. “When people look at his name on that corner, they're going to remember.”Gennaro, who introduced the legislation to change the street's name last fall, said he was impressed with how quickly Vasean's Law gathered support. “When we first conceived of doing a street rename, we figured by the time of the unveiling, we thought we would either have the law changed or nothing,” Gennaro said. “We thought if we had nothing, we would use it as an opportunity to crusade for one, and if we had one that meets our satisfaction, then we would use it as an opportunity to honor Vasean's Law.”Gennaro said he was not surprised that the law passed so quickly, but it was unfortunate that it took the death of an innocent child to bring the law to life.”All 62 district attorneys in the state and all the police officers in the state had wanted this law forever, and it took this mother's devotion,” he said. “She would not be denied.”Now, with the law passed, and Vasean's name memorialized, Dixon, a passionate public speaker, said she was far from finished. On Monday, she accompanied Gennaro to Vasean's school at PS 165 in Flushing where a computer lab was dedicated in his name. She also recently established the Vasean Phillip Alleyne Awareness Foundation, a summer camp she hopes will provide a safe, fun and educational environment for youngsters.”We've already started the paperwork,” she said. “Now it's just a matter of getting it off the ground.”Reach reporter Scott Sieber by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.
