Darren Drake Act, named for New Milford man killed in NYC terror attack, advances

NEW MILFORD — A law named after a local man who was killed five years ago in a terror attack in Downtown Manhattan is nearing the president’s desk, having passed the lower chamber of Congress as part of a bill that includes record-setting military spending.

The Darren Drake Act aims to stop lone-wolf extremists, and specifically those who carry out their attacks from behind the wheel, from ever being able to turn on the ignition.

The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, would direct the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to develop a set of best practices for car rental agencies to report suspicious behavior to law enforcement at the point of sale to prevent acts of terrorism.

Drake, 32, was among eight people fatally injured on Halloween in 2017 when Sayfullo Saipov, now 34, an Uzbek national from Paterson, allegedly drove a rented pickup for several blocks along a walkway near the Hudson River. At least 12 more pedestrians were hurt.

Drake was riding a bicycle on the path during a break from his job as a project manager for Moody’s Investors Service when the attack occurred.

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His father, James Drake, said on Tuesday that the proposed law is a life-saving measure for all Americans. “It’s a real patriotic endeavor,” he said. “We’re all in this fight together.”

The Drake legislation is included in the National Defense Authorization Act, which the House of Representatives approved on Thursday. It now awaits a vote by the Senate before being considered for a signature by President Joe Biden.

It is the third version of the Drake legislation to be authored by Gottheimer, but the first to make it out of the House.

Gottheimer, a Democrat representing the state’s 5th Congressional District, first announced his plan to introduce such a law at a press conference on the front lawn of the borough hall in January 2018.

The congressman, 47, who just won election to a fourth term, said the Drake legislation is a key provision of the national defense bill to “help our great nation combat terror wherever it rears its ugly head.”

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Gottheimer also thanked Darren’s parents for their resolve. “Their unimaginable strength and leadership are the reasons that we are so close to getting the Darren Drake Act across the finish line,” he said.

Under the current form of the Drake legislation, the secretary of Homeland Security would have up to one year to develop best practices for agencies that rent cars or trucks for less than four months. The proposed law pertains to companies with fleets of at least 35 vehicles.

Vehicles are the preferred weapon for terrorists who seek to inflict harm on soft targets in crowded places. Saipov, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, chose Halloween as the day for the attack “because he believed there would be more civilians on the street.”

Since that tragedy, there have been many more vehicle-ramming attacks.

In November 2021, a man killed six people and injured more than five dozen when he drove a Ford SUV through a Christmas parade in the city of Waukesha, Wisconsin. He was sentenced to consecutive life terms, without parole — one for each victim. And last month, in a case that has the outward signs of a classic terror plot, three Israelis died in a ramming and stabbing attack perpetrated by a Palestinian man in the West Bank.

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Saipov was inspired to carry out the attack by watching videos by the Islamic State on his cellphone, the government said. His trial began with jury selection in October, and it was expected to last for weeks. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, which range from murder in aid of racketeering to support of a terrorist organization.

Drake said he and his wife, Barbara Drake, prefer to focus — to the extent possible — on more positive events. The couple recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a cruise to Bermuda. It was a brief sojourn from their heartbreak, he said: “We’re trying to make the best out of a really lousy situation.”

Months after their son was killed, the Drakes established a nonprofit called the Darren Drake Foundation to support vocational education. Scholarships have been awarded to 10 graduates of area high schools to help pay for tuition at community colleges and trade schools.

Darren served on the Board of Education, including as president, and his father said he forecasted the prevailing shortage of skilled laborers years ago.

“It makes you feel like his life wasn’t in vain,” Drake said of the group’s philanthropy. “It’s helped us to enable young people to get blue-collar careers, and for that, we’re very proud. Darren would be very proud.”

Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: devencentis@northjersey.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Darren Drake Act, named for NYC terror victim, nears ratification