A 68-year-old man was critically injured in a pedestrian accident after he was struck by an SUV while crossing the street in West Brighton in Staten Island the morning of Jan. 6. According to a report in the Staten Island Advance, the pedestrian crash occurred near Forest Avenue and Raymond Place. A preliminary NYPD investigation showed that the pedestrian was walking on Forest Avenue crossing Raymond Place in the crosswalk when he was hit by the SUV.
Officials said the 65-year-old driver was trying to turn left from Forest onto Raymond when the collision occurred. The pedestrian sustained head trauma and was transported to an area hospital. The driver remained at the scene. The investigation is ongoing. Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured victim. We wish him the very best for a quick and full recovery.
Pedestrian Accidents on Staten Island
This incident is the most recent in an alarming series of pedestrian versus vehicle collisions on Staten Island, according to news reports. Just over the past few months, at least seven crashes have left pedestrians with critical or fatal injuries on Staten Island. On Dec. 20, a 68-year-old man was injured after being hit by a car on Arthur Kill Road in Charleston. Also, on the morning of Dec. 19, a 51-year-old woman was transported to a hospital with injuries after she was hit by a vehicle near the intersection of Winant Avenue and Mason Boulevard in Rossville.
Also, last week, a Staten Island man was charged with failing to yield to a pedestrian in connection with a crash that occurred on the 200 block of Mason Avenue near Staten Island University Hospital, fatally injuring 64-year-old Kathleen Murphy, a hospital employee. Surija Bajaro, the 67-year-old driver is facing charges of failure to yield and failure to exercise due care.
Failing to Yield to Pedestrians
Failing to yield to a pedestrian in New York City is a serious traffic violation that can lead to devastating injuries for pedestrians. New York City has one of the busiest pedestrian environments in the United States. The law requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, whether marked or unmarked, and even when pedestrians are not immediately visible, especially in congested urban areas.
When a driver fails to yield, they not only violate traffic laws but also endanger lives. Pedestrians have the right of way in these situations, and a failure to yield can result in accidents, injuries or fatalities. In New York City, the fines for failing to yield can be steep, with penalties that may include fines, points on the driver’s license and even license suspension in cases of serious injury or repeated violations.
Also, the city’s Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities, emphasizes strict enforcement of traffic laws to protect vulnerable road users, including pedestrians. Drivers are expected to be particularly cautious in pedestrian-heavy zones like Times Square or near public transit hubs where foot traffic is high.
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
Sources:
- https://www.silive.com/crime-safety/2025/01/authorities-respond-to-major-pedestrian-crash-in-west-brighton-forest-avenue-blocked.html
- https://www.silive.com/crime-safety/2025/01/rosebank-man-charged-in-fatal-pedestrian-crash-on-grounds-of-staten-island-university-hospital.html