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Tag Archives: reckless driving

August 12, 2014 News
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Fatal accident on New York Thruway involved wrong-way driver

New York – Earlier this morning a car crash occurred on a major highway, killing the drivers of both involved vehicles. According to officials, the driver of a pickup truck was driving the wrong way on the New York State Thruway in Rockland County, when his truck hit an oncoming SUV car. The car collision caused fatal injuries and sent emergency crews racing to the scene of the wrong-way accident. Reports show that the driver of the vehicle that had been driving on the wrong side of the highway was actually a New York City police officer, although he was off-duty at the time of the early morning truck accident. Video footage of the accident scene shows that the 2 vehicles apparently were involved in a head-on collision, causing severe damage to the front seat compartments, mostly on the driver’s side. Trauma specialists note that this type of car crash can be the most serious, involving 2 heavy vehicles that were both travelling at high speeds and hitting each other head-on. They explain that the velocities of the truck and the SUV add together to create a deadly motor vehicle accident. The types and severity of accident injuries are often also much more serious when this type of accident occurs.

Investigators are continuing their evaluation of the crash to determine what caused it. Possibilities include speeding, reckless driving, drug use and drunk driving, especially when the collision includes a wrong-way accident. An accident lawyer says that the at-fault driver, or in this case, the driver’s estate and car insurance company, faces a strong possibility of a wrongful death lawsuit. It is unclear if there were any other victims of the crash or the nature of any injuries. You can see more about the wrong-way collision here.

Illustrative photo by U.S. Navy [Public domain], 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

February 17, 2014 News
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Pregnant woman run over by snow plow in Brooklyn parking lot

New York – A pedestrian was struck and killed in a snow plow accident during a snow storm clean-up. The accident victim was loading groceries into her car in a supermarket parking lot when the owner of the business was shoveling the lot with a small plow. The Brooklyn, New York store owner was backing up in a Bobcat construction tractor when he hit the woman. The mini-bulldozer truck is described as a construction vehicle that is strong enough to lift and move heavy loads while maintaining a fast speed. Unfortunately, all of that force caused serious injuries that killed the pregnant woman and left her fetus struggling to survive. Hospital officials report that they were able to deliver the baby via an emergency Caesarean section surgery. However, the baby has been left in critical condition due to lack of oxygen and the injuries from the crash.

Witnesses in the neighborhood have commented that the driver of the snow plow has operated it in a way that they described as reckless driving. This has included speeding around the parking lot, sidewalk and even the public street. Police will need to further investigate these claims and determine the cause of the accident. Some have contended that the dangerous driver is to blame for the crash that has left one woman dead and a baby seriously injured, fighting for his life. Public activists say that property and store owners have a responsibility to shovel and salt their parking lots, driveways, walkways and sidewalks in order to prevent a slip and fall accident. However, this should be done in a careful manner that doesn’t place the public in even greater risk of injury or death. Read this article for information about another woman who was struck and killed by a snow plow in New York.

Illustrative photo by Tennen-Gas (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], 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