Police in Long Island, New York report that a car accident over the weekend has killed one of the passengers and injured two others. The most seriously injured person was flown by helicopter to the closest New York trauma center. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. The police who responded to the accident believe that the driver was drunk at the time of the crash. Investigators say this is what caused the one car accident during the early morning hours on Saturday. They report that the man then left the scene of the accident but was caught close to a half-mile away. Police note that it is illegal to leave the scene of an accident with property damage before filing a report with police. However, the seriousness of the charges increases when someone leaves the scene of an accident with injuries and peaks when an accident fatality is involved. Officials say that driving while intoxicated is a form of negligence but can be charged as a felony when causing injury or death. Leaving the scene of the accident may suggest that the driver is aware of his or her guilt in causing the accident. A personal injury lawyer in New York explains that besides the felony charges and probable jail time that the driver faces, he may also face a personal injury lawsuit from the surviving victims and a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of the victim who died in the accident. If you or someone you know were injured in an accident you can speak to an attorney to find out your rights. Details about this fatal car accident are available here.