A dedicated circle of family, friends, and officials came together this weekend for the 3rd Annual Nick Puzio Blood Drive, honoring the life of a young man whose death at the hands of hit-and-run drivers has galvanized a push for tougher traffic safety laws. Along with collecting life-saving blood donations, the event doubled as a rallying call for “Nick’s Law,” legislation aimed at strengthening penalties for drivers who flee fatal crashes.
State and county leaders joined with advocates and victims’ families, underscoring the urgency of reform as traffic deaths from drunk, drugged, and reckless driving continue to climb in New York.
“As we gather to collect much-needed donations of blood in honor of Nick Puzio, we are also pushing for passage of much-needed, common-sense legislation aimed at making New York’s roads safer for drivers and pedestrians,” said Senator Dean Murray, sponsor of Nick’s Law.
For the Puzio family, the drive was both a tribute and a painful reminder. Nick’s mother, Terry Puzio, said her son’s killers received minimal punishment, a reality she called unacceptable.
“My son Nick was killed by two hit-and-run drivers. Both drivers made reckless choices and left my son dying in the street with no regard for human life. The laws in New York State are far too lenient,” Puzio said. “Unfortunately, due to these laws, both of the people who killed my son spent less than five months in jail. People cannot just get a slap on the wrist and go on with their lives. Nick can’t go on with his life, and all our lives will never be the same.”
Legislators say Nick’s Law would close that gap by imposing harsher penalties for leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death.
“Nick Puzio’s life was cut tragically short while simply crossing the street. His family—and our community—deserve better than the slap on the wrists his killers received,” said Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, a co-sponsor of the bill. “Nick’s Law will make sure that fleeing the scene while impaired carries real consequences, because no family should ever endure what the Puzios and others have suffered.”
Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio referred to the broader trend of rising hit-and-run fatalities and called the situation a crisis. “We are witnessing a troubling spike in hit-and-run fatalities and impaired driving arrests. This is not a statistic, it’s a public safety crisis,” Giglio said. “Passing Nick’s Law and the Deadly Driving Bill in the next legislative session is essential. These bills will strengthen accountability for reckless drivers and deliver safer streets for all New Yorkers.”
District Attorney Ray Tierney said the problem is compounded by loopholes in state law that create incentives for impaired drivers to flee the scene of a crash.
“Too many people die every year on New York State’s roadways, and it is only getting worse,” Tierney said. “New York State is failing to keep people safe from drugged and drunk drivers or to adequately address the drivers who can hide their conditions by callously leaving victims of a crash to die. Legislative leaders need to pass the Deadly Driving Bill to fix drugged driving and remove the incentive for drivers to flee by raising the charges for hit-and-runs. It’s common sense. The status quo is not working.”
The event also highlighted the toll impaired driving has taken on other families. Alisa McMorris, whose 12-year-old son Andrew was killed by a drunk driver while hiking with his scout troop, said laws must change to prevent future tragedies.
“His death was not an accident—it was 100% preventable. That truth will haunt me for the rest of my life,” McMorris said. “We owe it to Andrew, and to every life lost, to make our vehicular crime laws tougher so no other parent has to live this nightmare.”
Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa said community solidarity remains strong in the wake of such loss. “As a community, we continue to mourn the loss of Nick Puzio. And as a community, we will continue to stand together with Nick’s family and support this blood drive as we will continue to support the passage of Nick’s Law,” said Caracappa, whose district includes the Farmingville Fire Department where the event was held. “Nick’s family deserves this, other families will benefit from this, and our community will always be here to support this initiative.”