June 9, 2017 By Jason Cohen
A street in Astoria will be co-named later this month after a woman who was killed by a hit and run driver in 2015.
Councilman Costa Constantinides (D-Astoria) announced Wednesday that the corner of Ditmars Boulevard and 19th Street will be renamed in honor of 21-year-old Betty Jean DiBiaso on June 23.
“I am proud to honor Betty Jean DiBiaso’s memory with this proposed street co-naming,” said Councilman Costa Constantinides in a statement. “She sparked the implementation of much-needed traffic safety improvements along the streets surrounding Astoria Park. After she was killed in a hit-and-run on a corner outside the park, there was a large community outcry for safety improvements. As a result, a traffic mitigation plan for Shore Boulevard, 20th Avenue, and Hoyt Avenue North was implemented.”
DiBiaso died when 25-year-old driver Nicholas Colleran ran through a stop sign and hit her while she was crossing the street near Astoria Park. Colleran drove away, but later pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and is currently serving up to four years in jail for DiBiaso’s death.
“We co-name this street to show that Betty’s death was not in vain – that we learned from the tragedy and worked to ensure it would not happen again,” Constantinides said.
