A Brooklyn teen driver was unlicensed and distracted or fell asleep behind the wheel of an SUV that crashed and caught fire on the Hutchinson River Parkway. According to the article in the New York Daily News, the deadly collision killed the driver and four of his underage relatives.
The young SUV driver, who did not have a supervising adult passenger, appeared to have had trouble negotiating a curve in Scarsdale, Westchester County and crashed into a boulder, officials said. The vehicle then struck a tree before bursting into flames.
Multiple Deaths in the Crash
Police do not believe speed was a factor in this car accident that killed Malik Smith, 16. However, they said, the crash occurred on a road that curves and that the driver did not turn with the roadway, but continued in a straight line. Officials suspect distracted or fatigued driving may have played a part in this crash.
Killed in the crash were four others, all minors, ranging in age from 8 to 17. The passengers were identified as Anthony Billips, 17, Zahnyiah Cross, 12, Shawnell Cross 11, and Andrew Billips, 8. Police said the driver and all of the victims — three boys and two girls — died from blunt-force trauma. A 9-year-old boy who was riding in the cargo area of the SUV survived. He escaped out the back of the vehicle through the shattered liftgate glass. He was transported to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Officials have stated that the SUV’s driver did not have a driver’s license of learner’s permit. We offer our deepest condolences to all family members for their tragic and heartbreaking loss.
What New York Law Says
New York State law prohibits drivers under 18 from having more than one passenger unless the passengers are members of their immediate family or there is a passenger older than 21 in the vehicle. In Connecticut, the law prohibits a 16-year-old from driving with passengers under the age of 20 and with nonfamily members.
Also, drivers younger than 18 are barred from driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless it is for school, work, religious activity or medical necessity. Police said the group had been at a mall or family gathering and were on their way home to Connecticut.
Distracted and Fatigued Driving
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving is dangerous, claiming 3,142 lives in 2020. NHTSA defines distracted driving as any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, working the controls of the entertainment or navigation system — basically activities that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.
Drowsy driving is also extremely dangerous. Each year, drowsy driving accounts for about 100,000 crashes, 71,000 injuries and 1,550 fatalities, according to the National Safety Council (NSC). When these forms of negligence (carelessness) are combined with inexperienced drivers, the risk of a crash can become significantly higher.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (careless) driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For over 51 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and $2,000,000 in a hit-and-run accident, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury, lead poisoning and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
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Source: https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-hutchinson-parkway-crash-driver-distracted-asleep-20230320-iwcv42vvlbcehktzcttc2qxncq-story.html