Antonina Freycinet, 47, was killed in a hit-and-run collision in South Jamaica while walking to a neighborhood grocery store on Christmas night. According to an NBC New York news report, Freycinet was walking at the corner of 111th Avenue and 158th Street when she was struck by a vehicle whose driver did not stop to help her. Before emergency responders arrived, she was run over again by an SUV, police said.
Fatal Injuries and Investigation
Freycinet was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries, but did not survive. Neither vehicle that struck her stopped at the scene. However, police were able to track down the second vehicle that was driven by a 64-year-old man. He reportedly told officials he was not aware he had hit someone. No charges were filed against him.
Freycinet’s 20-year-old son, Andrew Dasrath, told NBC that the family lived barely steps away from where she was struck. He said she was on her way to the store to get something to drink while the rest of the family was inside celebrating Christmas. Her son said he raced outside when he heard the sound of the collision and realized his mother had been hit. The investigation to find the hit-and-run driver and vehicle is ongoing.
Detectives are looking for surveillance video on 111th Avenue to get a look at the first vehicle that struck Freycinet. There was also a newly installed speed camera on the block. We offer our deepest condolences to Antonina Freycinet’s family for their tragic loss on Christmas Day. They will be in our thoughts and prayers.
Leaving the Scene of a Collision
Leaving the scene of an accident in New York is a serious offense that can carry significant legal consequences. Under New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 600, drivers involved in an accident resulting in property damage, injury or death are required to stop, provide their information, and assist any injured individuals. Failing to do so is considered a violation and, in more severe cases, a crime.
If the accident only involves property damage, fleeing the scene can result in fines, points on your driving record or even suspension of your license. However, if injuries or fatalities occur, leaving the scene results in criminal charges. The law requires drivers to remain at the scene and fulfill legal obligations to avoid escalating the situation.
Compensation in Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Accidents
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 medical and funeral costs, pain and suffering, lost future income, 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.
In a hit-and-run collision, the driver and vehicle owner are both responsible parties even if the owner was not driving when the accident occurred. If the driver was on the job and/or operating a company vehicle at the time, his or her employer can also be held liable. When the driver is apprehended in a hit-and-run case, he or she can be held financially liable for the injuries, damages and losses caused.
Such drivers can be held financially responsible whether or not they are arrested and/or charged. 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. You should consult a personal injury lawyer immediately to protect your rights.
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://www.nbcnewyork.com/queens/woman-killed-in-christmas-hit-and-run-in-queens-after-being-struck-by-two-cars-police/6085971/