A 19-year-old man has been critically injured in a car accident that occurred on Cross Island Parkway in Queens the night of Sept. 5. According to an AMNY.com news report, three other teens and a 42-year-old man were also hospitalized after a collision on the parkway’s northbound lanes near 154th Street in Whitestone.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police say the 19-year-old man was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by another 19-year-old man, with two other teen passengers aged 16 and 18. Police said the driver attempted to move from the left to the middle lane, but failed to properly navigate the merge. As a result, he crashed into the back of another sedan driven by a 42-year-old man with a 36-year-old woman riding as a passenger.
Ongoing Car Accident Investigation
The impact caused the teens’ vehicle to overturn on the parkway. Two male passengers — ages 19 and 16 — were thrown onto the pavement. The 19-year-old suffered severe body trauma and was rushed to New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital in critical condition, officials said. The 16-year-old was also transported to the same hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. He is said to be in stable condition.
Police also said the 19-year-old driver along with the other 18-year-old male passenger and the 42-year-old driver of the other vehicle were transported to Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx. They are all said to be in stable condition. A 36-year-old passenger refused medical attention at the scene. We wish all those who were injured the very best for a speedy and full recovery. The investigation into the cause of this crash is still ongoing.
Crash Statistics Involving Teen Drivers
Teen drivers face a higher risk of being involved in serious car crashes than more experienced drivers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drivers ages 16 to 19 have a fatal crash rate nearly three times higher than drivers age 20 and older when measured per mile driven. Recent statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) highlight the continued danger. In 2024, 752 teen drivers ages 15 to 18 died in crashes, while 2,320 people were killed in crashes involving a teen driver.
Speeding is another significant concern. NHTSA reports that speeding was a factor in 33% of passenger-vehicle teen drivers ages 15 to 18 involved in fatal crashes in 2024. Alcohol and distracted driving also contribute to deadly collisions.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
Injured victims of negligent (careless) drivers, including passengers, 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 car 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 bicycle accident or pedestrian accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (careless) driver, the very 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. It is in the best interest of injured victims and their families in such cases to contact a very experienced personal injury lawyer before contacting the people responsible for the injuries, and definitely before contacting or communicating with any insurance company, or their lawyers, investigators, or adjusters.
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.
For over 54 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm 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. We also recovered $1,500,000 for a lady who was hurt by a bus, although there was only a 1 million dollar insurance policy and we got $500,000 above that insurance policy.
We also obtained $295,000 out of a $300,000 insurance policy in compensation for the victim of a bicycle dooring accident (where a car door opens into the path of a bicyclist). 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. Also, we got a $1,400,000 verdict in a motorcycle accident.
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 cases, negligence cases, motor vehicle accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, trip-and-fall accidents, ceiling collapse cases, lead poisoning, paraplegia cases, quadriplegia cases 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.amny.com/police-fire/man-queens-critical-cross-island-parkway-crash-09062026/