Fahri Boumechal, 82, was fatally injured in a pedestrian accident after he was struck by a school bus while crossing a Midtown street near the on-ramp to the Queens Midtown Tunnel. According to a Patch.com news report, the fatal collision occurred the morning of April 29 when the 40-year-old driver of a yellow school bus was heading west along East 37th Street and made a left turn onto Second Avenue.
Ongoing Investigation
Around the same time, Boumechal was crossing Second Avenue and was hit in
the crosswalk by the bus driver. Police found the victim unconscious and unresponsive with head trauma. He was rushed to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. The bus driver remained at the scene. Police do not suspect any criminality. One other adult was in the bus at the time, but no children were inside, officials said.
The investigation into this fatal collision is ongoing. We offer our deepest condolences to the family members of Fahri Boumechal for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
NYC Pedestrian Accident Fatalities
This crash came only weeks after Mehri Hekmati, an 86-year-old Upper East Side resident, was fatally struck by a scooter driver in East Harlem. Last October, an 81-year-old Queens woman was also hit and killed by a school bus driver on the Upper East Side, at Third Avenue and East 72nd Street.
During the first quarter of 2022, 59 people were killed on New York City’s Street — a 44% increase compared to last year. This was also the worst start to any year since the city’s Vision Zero safety effort began in 2014, a recent report stated. These grim numbers prompted Mayor Eric Adams to pledge significant funding ($904 million) toward constructing additional bike and bus lanes and pedestrian spaces.
Failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and intersections is one of the most common causes of fatal pedestrian accidents in New York City. Drivers are required under the law to stop and yield the right of way to pedestrians in crosswalks. When there is no traffic control signal at a crosswalk, drivers must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians, particularly if the pedestrian is in a crosswalk or there is potential danger to the pedestrian (Section 1151, NYS Vehicle & Traffic Law). In addition, every driver approaching an intersection or crosswalk must yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian accompanied by a guide dog or a cane (Section 1153-c, NYS Vehicle & Traffic Law).
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
Injured victims of pedestrian accidents and bicycle accidents 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 lost future income, medical and funeral costs, pain and suffering, etc.
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.
Pedestrian accident victims and their families should also 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.
For over 50 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 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.
We also obtained $295,000 in compensation for the victim of a bicycle dooring accident (where a car door opens into the path of a bicyclist). 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 and/or medical malpractice 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://patch.com/new-york/upper-east-side-nyc/elderly-ues-man-hit-killed-school-bus-midtown-police