A man was struck and killed by the driver of an SUV who witnesses say was traveling at least 80 mph on the public roadway. According to a Streetsblog.com report, the incident occurred at the intersection of Avenue N and East 98th Street in Canarsie. The driver and his passenger fled by foot from the scene of the crash leaving their victim to die, police said.
Police say the victim was on a motorized scooter and “within the intersection” when the driver of a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a large SUV, hit him while speeding eastbound on Avenue N. After the collision, the Jeep’s driver lost control of the vehicle, hitting a tree and a fire hydrant before rolling over and crashing into several, parked, unoccupied vehicles. Police don’t have any description of the driver or the passenger who fled. The rider was transported to an area hospital where he died. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family members in this horrific hit-and-run crash.
Excessive Speed a Factor
A 70-year-old neighbor who saw the car accident from her window called 911. She said it looked like the driver was doing at least 80 mph in a residential area that had a lot of sharp turns. She called it “a recipe for disaster” and described the area as “a magnet for crashes.”
Another neighbor said this was the worst accident she’s seen in the 40 years she has been living in the neighborhood. The woman’s husband told Streetsblog that people have been speeding and going through stop signs there since the coronavirus pandemic began. He said they are treating the street like a raceway. Police are still investigating the incident.
Several news outlets have reported that the city’s empty streets during the coronavirus pandemic have encouraged some drivers to violate speed limits. Data from the New York City’s Department of Finance shows that tickets issued by speed cameras jumped in the month of March, even as traffic decreased significantly.
Streetsblog reported that there were 180,718 tickets issued on the weekdays from March 5 to March 24, representing an increase of more than 12% over the same period in January. While the number of collisions has decreased compared to the same time last year, this spurt in speeding cases is alarming many, particularly at a time when hospitals and police departments have been overwhelmed.
Compensation for Injured Victims
Speeding is a form of negligence (carelessness), which is the most common cause of car accidents in New York City that contribute to major injuries and fatalities. Drivers who speed, or drive while distracted and/or impaired, drivers who fail to yield the right of way or run red lights and stop signs pose a definite danger to other road users and have the potential to cause not just vehicle-related accidents, but also pedestrian accidents and bicycle accidents. Negligence (carelessness) is a factor in a majority of car accidents occurring in the city, leading to fatal injuries or those that prove disabling for victims.
If a hit-and-run driver has injured you, please remember that you can seek compensation through the uninsured motorist clause of your auto insurance policy (even though the driver has not been identified) or through a quasi-state agency if there is no motor vehicle in the victim’s household. In such cases, the at-fault driver (when identified) may face charges and penalties. In addition, he or she can be held financially liable for the injuries, damages and losses caused. You should retain an experienced personal injury lawyer right away to help protect your legal rights. A family who has lost a loved one in a hit-and-run crash may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation as well.
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 49 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. 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 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://nyc.streetsblog.org/2020/06/23/brooklyn-man-killed-in-early-morning-hit-and-run/