NYPD cops on modified duty after fatal ATV crash

NEW YORK - Two police officers are on modified duty as the NYPD investigates whether they wrongly chased a stolen ATV that crashed early Friday morning, killing both people on the ATV.

Modified duty means an officer has been stripped of his or her gun and badge and assigned to non-enforcement tasks.

NYPD policy states that officers must stop a vehicle pursuit when the risks to them and the public outweigh the danger to the community if the suspect is not arrested right away.

Angel Lopez, 22, of the Bronx, was driving the ATV the wrong way on the lower roadway of the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge early Friday morning, authorities said. A man who said he was riding near Lopez told the Daily News that police were pursuing the ATV.

The ATV then collided with a tractor-trailer in Queens Plaza at Jackson Avenue in Long Island City just before 2 a.m. Friday, New York City police said. The impact threw Lopez and his male passenger, who hasn't been identified, off the ATV. Both men died.

The truck driver stayed at the scene and has not been charged.

In June, when the mayor announced a major crackdown on illegal dirt bikes and ATVs, he said the city had seized about 88% more such vehicles this year than last.

PBA President Patrick Lynch criticized the NYPD's decision to place the two officers on modified duty.

"The NYPD needs to decide whether enforcing quality of life issues is really a priority," Lynch said. "These police officers and cops across the city have been told to prioritize getting illegal bikes and ATVs off the streets, because the community is sick of them. They should not be punished for doing the job they were sent out to do."

The NYPD could give the officers a warning or issue more serious consequences such as docking vacation days or even employment termination.