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Tag Archives: accident victim

July 03, 2015 Uncategorized
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Injuries following Queens ambulette accident

New York – A motor vehicle accident between an ambulette and a car occurred last night in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens. The ambulette van crashed into the car and then lunged forward into a fence, according to reports. After slamming through the fence, it came to rest half on a stone wall and half in a parking lot, having narrowly missed hitting a building. At least two accident victims suffered injuries in the van crash. It is unclear if any passengers were in the ambulette at the time of the collision. Ambulettes are usually used to transport sick and disabled people to and from hospitals and doctor’s appointments when they are unable to travel by regular car. Often, these people are wheelchair-bound or unable to walk or sit in a regular seat. Healthcare system experts say that these people often need extra special care and attention due to their disabilities and increased susceptibility to injury.

Observers note that this ambulette crash is similar to another recent but deadly ambulette accident in West Nyack, New York. That collision occurred just a month and a half ago and involved a mini bus and the medical transport van close to the Palisades Center shopping mall in Rockland County. It left one victim dead and four additional people injured in the crash along with many questions about ambulette driver training and safety. Transportation safety activists have demanded that officials look into these ambulette collisions and determine if additional training and safety regulations are necessary to ensure public safety. They warn that the fragile state of citizens who require specialized medical transportation in an ambulette must be the highest priority. Some point out that a reckless driver or negligent worker can easily lead to catastrophic consequences. See this video and article for more about this fatal van accident.

Illustrative Photo Credit: hmmmayor [License]

March 30, 2015 News
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Hazardous condition blamed for building explosion in Manhattan

New York – Records illustrate that a building fire and explosion in the East Village area of New York City may have been due to illegal work on the gas line that left a dangerous gas leak. The building was flagged as having a possible natural gas leak in August 2014 after a meter reading worker smelled gas. The gas company report that they sent a team of employees to the scene and found several gas leaks and an overall dangerous situation after seeing that the original gas line had been illegally tapped into several times. The illegal work was possibly done by the owner of the building or with his knowledge. There was a restaurant in the building that was authorized to have a natural gas hook up to the company. However, the other residents apparently were illegally and dangerously connected to the same gas line according to accounts. The gas company then turned off service but allowed the owner of the building to correct the negligent maintenance work. The service to the building was restored after the gas company re-inspected the situation and found it to be safe. Now, public safety activists are questioning if the repair work was done properly and according to safety code. Some suspect that the illegal work may have been repeated but further inspection is necessary to determine fault. Nearby construction work was underway and Consolidated Edison inspectors were at the scene only approximately one hour earlier, reportedly having determined that the construction and renovation work failed their safety standards. It is unclear if that work was in any way related to the gas fire.

The fire has been blamed on a natural gas explosion according to New York City Fire Department (FDNY) officials. The original explosion demolished 3 buildings in total, including at least one restaurant and multiple apartments. Yesterday, the remains of two of the deadly accident victims were found at the scene. At least twenty-two people were injured in the blast, with many of them suffering burns, broken bones, lacerations as well as internal injuries. See this article for more details about the building accident.

Illustrative photo credit: cisc1970 [License]

February 28, 2015 News
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Long Island car crash involves fire department truck and a car

New York – Two vehicles were involved in a collision on Thursday, injuring three accident victims. Stony Brook fire department officials confirmed that the car accident involved the department chief’s SUV truck. The truck accident was still under investigation to determine the cause but there is no indication at this time that the fire chief was driving with emergency lights and sirens. Reports also indicate that the fire department vehicle was not on its way to an emergency call at the time of the SUV accident. A New York lawyer who specializes in accidents notes that emergency vehicles, such as police cars, fire trucks and ambulances, have the responsibility to drive with due caution for others on the road even when driving with lights and sirens to an emergency. Reckless driving, even when responding to an emergency call, may be considered negligent and the driver and department can be held liable.
All three people who were involved in the motor vehicle collision were transported to a Long Island, New York hospital for treatment of their wounds. The front seat passenger of the car was listed with serious injuries and was admitted to the hospital. The drivers of the two vehicles were also taken to an area trauma center but later released. The injured people may also require continued follow up and therapy for their wounds. See this article for more about this accident with injuries.

Illustrative photo credit: Jenny Starley [License]

February 11, 2015 News
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Westchester, New York train accident injures and kills multiple victims

New York – A commuter train crash occurred in the town of Valhalla in Westchester in the middle of the rush hour commute home. The train slammed into an sport utility vehicle (SUV) that had been stopped on the railroad tracks for an undetermined reason. Witnesses report that the railroad crossing gates came down but possibly hit the car. Reports show that the driver of the car got out of her vehicle briefly but then got back in and tried to move forward. However, she was unable to get off of the train track in time and the resulting train versus car accident pushed the SUV and caused it to burst into flames. The car fire then spread to the train, putting hundreds of train passengers at further risk. Officials say that six accident victims were killed in the crash, with one of them being the driver of the car. At least 15 other people were reported to have suffered injuries in the collision. Several of the injured people were listed as in serious condition. However, a top New York accident lawyer noted that some personal injury victims aren’t aware of some injuries or that some symptoms are actually related to an accident. Accident victims are encouraged to speak to their doctor or go directly to an emergency room if they are concerned about possible or unclear injuries. More about the train and SUV collision along with a video is available here.

Illustrative photo by AEMoreira042281 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

October 02, 2014 News
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Falling debris from Manhattan, New York building injures pedestrians

New York – Two pedestrian bystanders were injured in a construction accident in Midtown Manhattan yesterday. Workers on a scaffold above the sidewalk apparently dropped a piece of metal onto the heads of the victims below. The accident victims suffered a head injury and a neck injury and were rushed by ambulance to the emergency room of a nearby hospital. According to witnesses, the metal debris was a piece of a sign and came down with enough force to bend it.

Trauma doctors explain that this type of accident can cause a range of concerning injuries, including a traumatic brain injury, lacerations, and spinal injuries. They note that even a relatively light piece of debris can cause serious injury or even permanent disability when it comes crashing down from a height. Psychological injuries can also be found in victims of this type of accident. Some of these injuries, such as a post concussion disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder or an adjustment disorder can be latent and only come out days, weeks or even months later. Similarly, some neck and back injuries can take time until they fully show themselves. Patients who suffer an injury like this are advised to seek medical evaluation at a hospital, or at least with their primary medical doctor as soon as possible. Reports show that the construction company and/or contractors on the job will be issued a summons and fine for not properly protecting the public’s safety in this work accident. For more details about this falling debris accident and the injured pedestrian, read this article.

Illustrative photo by Oregon Department of Transportation (Cleaning detailUploaded by Smallman12q) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

April 07, 2014 News
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Queens car crash into creek kills multiple accident victims

New York – This past Friday night ended with four passengers of a car accident dead after the vehicle sank into a creek. Police say that the car ran into the water after hitting the wooden barrier at the end of a dead end street. The car slammed into the barrier and then plunged into the cold water in the Astoria section of Queens, NY with only the driver being able to escape. Only several hours after this deadly accident, another vehicle also fell into a small section of the East River less than a mile away from the first crash. This time it was an SUV that hit a thin chain linked fence on the dead end street and then rolled over into the river. The SUV accident ended happier, with the four victims escaping alive. Details of the injuries that they suffered in that roll-over accident are still unclear. Fire Department of New York divers took part in both rescue and recovery operations.

Police investigators are continuing their search for the causes of these motor vehicle collisions. They are currently reviewing security camera footage from the initial collision and believe that the driver may have been speeding. Regarding the second accident with injuries, there has been speculation that a drunk driver may have been behind the wheel. A drunk driving accident would help explain why the one vehicle accident occurred. However, concerned citizens worry that regardless of the cause of the accidents, New York City should be doing more to prevent these types of calamities. Specifically, some have pointed out that the road safety division should have known that stronger barriers and better signs were necessary at the ends of these dark dead end roads. They note that the water hazard is serious enough to warrant more than a low wooden barrier or simple chain linked fence. Improved lighting could also help prevent motor vehicle accidents but require city funding. Public advocates have warned that the government officials and land owners in these dangerous areas are responsible to secure the roads and public. They explain that improper planning and safety preparations may constitute negligence. See this site for more about the fatal collision into Steinway Creek.

Illustrative photo by ecksunderscore from New York City (FDNY boat) [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

July 31, 2013 News
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Driver causes accident while going wrong way on New York bridge

New York — One person was killed while several others were injured in a five car accident on the Tappan Zee Bridge this past Wednesday. According to state police, the motor vehicle crash occurred as a result of one of the men who was driving the wrong way on the bridge. They say that the wrong-way driver was travelling south in his SUV on the northbound roadway when he crashed into a car. The other car then rolled over and killed one of the passengers and seriously injuring the driver victim. Three other vehicles were subsequently involved in the pile up during the accident, causing multiple injuries. Reports show that at least one of the accident victims suffered a spinal injury while a trauma specialist notes that further evaluation will be necessary to determine any other injuries to the other people. It has been pointed out that some injuries from a motor vehicle accident do not become fully apparent until days or even weeks after the trauma. Accident investigators were continuing their search for the entire cause of the car crash, including why the man would have driven the wrong way on the highway. Highway safety activists have wondered if proper signs and preventative devices were in place to avert such a dangerous condition. They note that other high-profile car accidents have occurred on New York roads due to drivers going the wrong direction on the highway over the past few years. Some have blamed these accidents on a combination of dangerous drivers that should not have been allowed to drive and confusing on and off ramps. They warn that there is often a lack of signs or other barriers to prevent drivers from entering the highway in the wrong direction. Safety advocates have been challenging the federal, state and local authorities to deal with the hazardous condition, noting that it is their responsibility to do everything possible to prevent accidents and injuries. They exclaim that highway accidents are often more serious, causing more injury and death that other crashes due to the high speeds involved. Investigators say that motorists are more likely to be speeding on an highway and this very often contributes to accidents. Read up more in this article about the recent deadly wrong-way car crash.

Photo by Mohsan Dabiri-e Vaziri (Own work) [CC-BY-2.5], via Wikimedia Commons