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Tag Archives: pedestrian accident

June 18, 2014 News
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Two pedestrian accidents on Long Island involved young children

New York – Two unrelated motor vehicle accidents occurred within hours of each other this past Sunday. The first car accident involved a 6-year-old pedestrian struck by a car in Suffolk County, Long Island. The accident victim in that crash was crossing the street when she was hit by a car. that was driven by an elderly man. Hospital officials report that the young girl died of the injuries from the collision despite their best efforts to revive her.

Suffolk County Police report that only several hours later, a 10-year-old boy was seriously injured in a similar car crash. The boy was crossing the road with his mother when he was struck by a car being driven by a 21-year-old driver. The victim was rushed by a medivac helicopter ambulance to a trauma center. He is undergoing continued treatment for extensive wounds both externally and internally. At this point, it appears that the most serious problem is a head injury, which requires further evaluation to determine if the victim suffered a traumatic brain injury. Police in both cases are continuing their investigation into the causes of the accidents but have not yet issued any tickets or made arrests. Some of the investigations will include an evaluation of the mechanical condition of the vehicles and an assessment to see if speeding may have contributed to the crashes. Read more about these pedestrian accidents here.

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

May 12, 2014 News
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Police arrest man accused of hit-and-run car accident on Long Island

New York – The driver of a sport utility vehicle (SUV) crashed into a car, causing serious accident injuries to the other driver and unknown injuries to the passenger. Police report that the man driving the SUV had been arrested in the past as a drunk driver and convicted a few years ago. The charges against him include fleeing the scene of an accident with personal injuries and allegedly driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He apparently bypassed the installed breathalyzer device in his car that was intended to prevent additional drunk driving incidents. Road safety specialists say that driving while intoxicated or impaired increases the danger of a motor vehicle collision, including a pedestrian accident or bicycle accident. Public wellbeing activists have complained that the courts and government have been negligent in effectively keeping drunk or dangerous drivers off of the roads. Some have pointed out that installing a breathalyzer system in a convicted drunk driver’s car is not enough. These systems are too easy to bypass and a driver can also simply use a different car. They note that reckless drivers should be dealt with harshly, including putting them in jail, in order to protect the welfare of everyone else on the roads. An accident lawyer in New York City explains that the driver of the SUV will likely face both criminal charges as well as a personal injury lawsuit. However, the possibility of further charges or lawsuits cannot be excluded pending investigation of the circumstances surrounding the SUV accident. More about the car crash can be found here.

Illustrative photo by U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Patrick J. Cook [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

April 23, 2014 News
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New York City taxi accident killed pedestrian

New York – A pedestrian accident left a woman dead after she was hit by a cab as she was crossing the street. Witnesses say that the woman and her friend were crossing the Upper East Side road when a taxi struck her and pushed her into the lane of another cabbie. The second taxi crashed into the already injured victim, possibly causing the fatal blow. Bystanders raced to start treating the woman’s accident injuries and stop traffic in order to prevent another car crash. Police believe the two pedestrians may have been jaywalking but it was unclear if the yellow cabs were speeding at the time of the collision. Accident specialists explain that the cause of a car crash is not always immediately evident and requires close examination. Anything from drunk driving or a distracted driver to speeding or poor road design can contribute to an accident. They note that some collisions have multiple contributing causes and a complete investigation is necessary to prevent further injuries or wrongful deaths. Some hazardous conditions can simply be alleviated by installing better signs or lighting while other car accidents can be prevented with stronger police enforcement of known trouble spots. For example, police awareness and ticketing programs to prevent reckless driving or driving while texting or talking on a cell phone can help prevent crashes. However, experts note that the taxi drivers may have also suffered injuries during the accident that may have been caused by the pedestrians. They explain that everyone that shares the roadway is expected to follow the appropriate laws, including pedestrians and bicyclists. If you, or someone you know, were involved in a motor vehicle accident, you are entitled to discuss your case with an experienced accident lawyer to determine your rights. Read more about this pedestrian struck accident here.

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

April 02, 2014 News
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New York State school bus safety program scheduled for April 3, 2014

New York – The state sponsored Operation Safe Stop program was created in order to prevent student pedestrians from getting hit by a car. Officials explain that many children have been struck by a vehicle when getting on or off their school bus, especially when they try to cross the street. Parents, police and lawmakers teamed up to improve safety for kids by passing driver safety laws and forming programs such as this one. The law in New York State says that it is illegal to pass a school bus that has its red lights flashing. This law applies to all vehicles, including cars, trucks and other buses. Many yellow school buses have added a red stop sign that swings out on the driver’s side when the red lights are activated. However, this is not necessary and the law applies even when there is no stop sign or if it is broken. The requirement to stop for a school bus with flashing red lights applies to vehicles approaching from in front of as well as behind the bus. It even applies to vehicles on the opposite side of a divided highway with many lanes as well as in school parking lots. Experts say that whenever the red lights are activated, it means that the bus driver is letting students on or off the bus, creating a potentially dangerous condition should the child run across the street. They note that the shorter height of kids prevents drivers from seeing them, especially when they walk out from behind a tall bus. The goal of the Operation Safe Stop program is to bring awareness to the law and the dangers of passing a school bus. Ultimately, organizers hope that the awareness program will prevent accidents, injuries and wrongful death by cracking down on reckless driving behavior. Police say that tickets with hefty fines will be issued to dangerous drivers that do not obey the law. If you witness illegal driving, such as illegally passing a school bus, contact the police to report it. If you or someone you know was injured due to a negligent driver, you have the right to contact an accident lawyer to discuss your case. Local police throughout the area are planning on participating in this safe driving program on April 3, 2014 with high hopes of preventing pedestrian accidents.

Illustrative photo by Bernd Moehle (Flickr: School bus) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

September 11, 2013 News
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Pedestrian accident in Brooklyn causes multiple injuries

New York – A two-vehicle car accident caused injuries to at least seven victims, many of them pedestrian bystanders. Police report that the car crash began when one the of the vehicles hit an SUV truck in what appeared to be a routine accident in a busy Crown Heights intersection. One witness noted that the first car caused the accident when he ran through a red light at the dangerous intersection. However, the SUV then jumped the curb and was pushed into several pedestrians who were standing on the sidewalk. That vehicle then hit a large metal pole and came to rest after slamming into a light post. The initial pole collapsed and was run over by the SUV, possibly causing some of the injuries. Witnesses explained that accident victims were scattered everywhere and ambulances were immediately called. One of the injured pedestrians apparently suffered a partial foot or leg amputation during the accident. She was rushed by paramedics to a trauma center hospital for treatment and emergency surgery to try to repair the injury. One of the drivers in the accident suffered a head injury and also required emergency treatment. Further details regarding the injured victims and the nature of their injuries have not yet been made available. Investigators are also still looking into the cause of the accident and who was at fault for causing all of the injuries. Meanwhile, local activists complained about the lack of safety and careful driving in this dangerous area of Brooklyn, NY. Some have asked for increased police presence and stiffer punishments for reckless driving. Public safety proponents say that a reckless driver, especially one that causes a serious accident with injuries, must not be allowed to drive again. At the very least, serious consequences but be in place in order to protect the safety, health and property of innocent bystanders.

A similar truck accident in Brooklyn occurred only 2 weeks ago. In that motor vehicle crash, the driver of the truck hit a car and that car was then pushed up onto the sidewalk. It then slammed into a pole and then finally stopped. In the meantime, the truck then hit 3 additional cars. Several crash victims were injured in that accident according to reports. Safety advocates say that these accidents are proof that police, lawmakers and city engineers need to do more to prevent accidents and punish dangerous drivers. Check out further details about the recent Brooklyn car crash here.

Photo by Coolcaesar at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

August 27, 2013 News
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New York City cab accidents cause serious injuries

New York — Transportation safety activists are up in arms this week as two taxi accidents occurred within days of each other on city streets. The most recent of these car crashes involved a cab that jumped onto a busy Manhattan sidewalk and hit several pedestrians. The injured pedestrians included a woman tourist that suffered severe injuries of both legs. One of her feet was amputated during the car accident according to doctors. Bystanders tried treating the injured woman until ambulance crews and paramedics arrived. Unfortunately, trauma surgeons in the hospital were unsuccessful in reattaching the severed foot. According to reports, this cab accident victim was the most seriously wounded during the crash. However, at least two additional injury victims were treated in this pedestrian accident according to emergency responders. The extent of their wounds were unclear and the patients were rushed to the hospital for emergency evaluation and treatment. Witnesses say that the cab driver hit a bicyclist and some report that it was due to road rage. The taxi driver claimed that the accident was due to his losing control after the bicycle rider started banging on his cab. Police investigators were still looking into the details of what caused this motor vehicle crash. Apparently, the taxi driver has a poor driving record with several violations and tickets, including one for running a red light. Safety activists in the city expressed concern since this was not the first alleged road rage accident involving a NYC cab this week. In an unrelated taxi crash, two cab drivers were allegedly fighting for a customer fare and the car jumped the curb, hitting a construction scaffolding. In that taxi accident, one of the cars also hit the side of the building and caused damage. Activists pointed to the reckless driving behavior of many drivers in the city and are demanding more concrete actions to protect citizens. They warn that police and officials must do more to ticket aggressive drivers and suspend their driver’s licenses. Some believe that police should even impound their cars and arrest the most serious offenders, including those convicted of road rage crashes. Otherwise, safety advocates say, we can all expect to continue seeing serious accidents and injuries or even deaths on New York’s roads. You can find out more about the pedestrian accident involving the taxi driver and tourist here.

Photo by Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

June 24, 2013 News
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Car crashes into sidewalk injuring pedestrians in Lower Manhattan

New York — A driver plowed his car into a sidewalk in the East Village section of Manhattan this past week. Reports indicate that at least four crash victims, including several store workers, were treated for multiple injuries from the accident. Bystanders in the area indicated that the car accident scene left injured people and debris scattered with emergency rescuers struggling to take care of the wounded. The pedestrians and one bicyclist were stabilized on the scene and taken by ambulance to city emergency rooms for treatment. Police report that the driver of the car that caused the pedestrian accident was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. They noted that the driver has a record of drunk driving or driving while impaired by drugs in the past. No obvious cause for the car crash has been reported, as the roads were clear and no other vehicles were involved. Pedestrian safety advocates in New York explain that drivers need to be much more careful in order to avoid hurting or killing innocent people walking or riding their bicycles. Another pedestrian accident occurred on Long Island, NY over the weekend. That collision left a family, including three children injured, when the driver hit them with his SUV. Police did not indicate that they believed the driver was drunk or otherwise impaired. Some people familiar with the accident think that the man was a distracted driver. Overall, safety activists are concerned that motor vehicle accidents are becoming more common and more deadly in New York City. A top accident lawyer warns that drivers need to be more attentive to their driving and avoid the commonplace distractions that are often associated with dangerous driving. This can include driving while on the cell phone, texting or sending emails while driving and even watching videos and eating while behind the wheel. To find out more about the growing list of injuries and deaths from car accidents in New York City, check out this article.

Photo by Youngking11 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

June 12, 2013 News
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Concern mounts over 911 dispatching errors in New York City

New York — The new 911 emergency call and dispatch system in New York City (NYC) was just installed a few weeks ago but has already been implicated in dangerous delays in ambulance responses. Reports have surfaced about a long delay in dispatching an urgent request for an ambulance for a pedestrian accident with a car this past week. The car accident occurred when an unlicensed teen driver tried to speed away from police in his SUV. The reckless driver hit two pedestrians, a young child and her grandmother, when he ran up onto a Manhattan sidewalk. Witnesses reported that the ambulance took too long to arrive at the car crash scene, where the victims suffered significant accident injuries. The child crash victim died soon after arriving in the hospital’s emergency room and some wonder if this could have been prevented. Some public safety specialists warn that the new 911 computer system is not working properly and needs to be fixed before more people are injured or killed. Reports continue to surface about other emergency 911 calls that have been delayed or lost for significant amounts of time by the new computer system. Some citizen activists and dispatchers explain that there have been calls that have been lost in the system for an hour or more but they feel that the administration refuse to acknowledge or correct the problems. Instead, they say, the dangerous condition has become folly for disputes between the city and emergency worker’s union. A top injury attorney noted that extended delays in dispatching police, fire and ambulance services may be construed as professional negligence and therefore be grounds for a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. Currently, the fire department commissioner claims that this mistake occurred when a dispatcher ignored the call for help that was clearly on her computer screen. Further investigation is underway with several experienced dispatchers insisting that the city is ignoring the real problem of serious computer glitches in the system. You can read more about the investigation and controversy into the new 911 dispatching system here.

Photo by Jason Pack (This image is from the FEMA Photo Library.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

June 06, 2013 News
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SUV crashes on Manhattan sidewalk following police chase

New York — The New York Police Department (NYPD) reported that a police chase in the Upper West Side of Manhattan ended in the fleeing car crashing into pedestrians two days ago. The police were chasing an SUV that was speeding away from a car stop but apparently lost control during the pursuit. Witnesses explain that the car crash occurred when the teenager suspect hit  wall and then struck two pedestrians, including one young child. The child, only 4-years-old, was fatally injured in the car accident and died at the hospital. The child was walking along the sidewalk with her grandmother who was also seriously injured in the SUV crash. The second car accident victim was also rushed to the emergency room of a local New York City hospital for treatment of her accident injuries. Witnesses report that the driver of the SUV hit the grandmother twice, the second time backing up into the woman, before he was stopped by police. Some residents placed partial blame for the injuries and wrongful death on the police officers who, they say, should have ended the pursuit earlier. The police department’s policy states that a police chase should be discontinued if there’s undue risk of injury or death to the officers or the public, while the fleeing suspect otherwise does not represent a clear and present danger. Criminal charges are being filed against the driver of the SUV but an accident lawyer explains that a personal injury lawsuit and wrongful death lawsuit may be filed as well. The legal expert also says that the police may be named as defendants in the civil lawsuit as well, if there’s evidence that they unnecessarily endangered the welfare of the citizens on the street. You can find out more about this pedestrian accident here.

Photo by Ryanandlenny (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons