Police have arrested a driver who they say plowed his vehicle into a group of pedestrians in Queens after driving erratically and evading police. According to a WABC news report, the pedestrian accident occurred early morning on Dec. 15 when a group of people were crossing 80th Street near Northern Boulevard in Jackson Heights, and were struck by the vehicle. The driver fled the scene on foot down 80th Street without offering help to the injured victims, officials said.
Injuries and Ongoing Investigation
WABC reports that the wild sequence of events began in Astoria when police had stopped the vehicle for fraudulent plates. A few blocks later police stopped the same vehicle and reported that the driver tried to escape. Officials said there was no high-speed chase, but that the driver was operating the vehicle erratically.
That was when the pedestrians were struck. Police said one 23-year-old man suffered a cut to his leg and a 28-year-old woman complained of back pain. Both are listed in stable condition. The driver was apprehended at the scene and later arrested. He was identified as 32-year-old Fabrice Bayonne of Amityville. Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured pedestrians, and we wish them the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. The investigation is ongoing.
Reckless Driving and Pedestrian Accidents
Reckless driving significantly increases the risk of pedestrian accidents, often with devastating consequences. Negligent (careless) behaviors such as speeding, running red lights, distracted driving and ignoring crosswalks are common causes. Speeding, in particular, reduces a driver’s reaction time, making it harder to avoid collisions with pedestrians. Distracted driving, stemming from mobile phone use, further exacerbates the issue as drivers fail to notice pedestrians until it is too late.
The consequences of such collisions for pedestrians are often severe as they lack any sort of protection. Injuries can range from broken bones and concussions to life-altering trauma such as spinal injuries or brain damage. In the worst cases, reckless driving results in fatalities, leaving families devastated.
Compensation for Injured Pedestrians
Traffic accidents have the potential to result in catastrophic injuries and fatalities. Injured pedestrian accident victims can seek compensation from at-fault parties for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families that have lost loved ones in pedestrian accidents can seek compensation for damages such as medical and funeral costs, pain and suffering, lost future income, permanent injuries, etc.
Pedestrian accident victims and their families should remember that they can seek compensation for injuries or losses in collisions even if the victim was not walking in a marked crosswalk and even if the driver involved in collision was not charged. Our law firm recovered the full one-million-dollar insurance policy for a girl who was not in the crosswalk when a motor vehicle hit her.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident or bicycle 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 53 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. We 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.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: https://abc7ny.com/post/jackson-heights-hit-run-crash-2-people-injured-after-being-struck-driver-queens-nyc/15658989/