Auto Accidents

Published on: July 30, 2014

Senior pedestrian dies from head injuries after being struck by a car in Queens

An 87 year old woman who was trying to cross the street was hit by a car near Willets Point Blvd and 163rd St in Flushing, Queens, New York, yesterday night. She suffered severe head injuries and later died in the hospital.

In New York City, senior pedestrians have a higher risk to die in a car accident than adult pedestrians. Recent statistics from the DOT show that seniors represent 12% of the NYC population but account for 36% of NYC pedestrian traffic fatalities.
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Source: DOT Safe Street for Seniors New York City

Published on: July 17, 2014

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety just released a list of recommended used vehicles for teens to help parents buy a car that will better protect their teens in case of an accident and that will also offer sufficient safety technology

By GGCRBHS&M

teen%20driver.jpg Car accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers and the type of vehicle they are driving can make a difference. Every year the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) publishes a Top Safety Picks list featuring the safest new cars to drive. However for 83% of parents a new car for their teens is not in the budget. To help them make the right choice when buying a used car for their teens, the IIHS just published a list of the best used cars for teen drivers.

Even though minicars and small cars are the most common choices when parents buy a car for their teens, they are not on the list of the IIHS. Bigger and heavier vehicles provide better protection in case of an accident.

Often teenagers drive an old car that the family already owned. Two thirds of these teenagers drive vehicles from 2006 or earlier. According to the IIHS, this is not a safe option for a teen because these vehicles usually don’t offer safety features such as Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and side airbags.

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Published on: July 15, 2014

A 49 year old female pedestrian died yesterday night after being struck by at least one car in Brooklyn, NYC

By GGCRBHS&M

A pedestrian died after she was hit by at least one car on Flatbush Ave near Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn. The accident happened yesterday night after 9 pm and heavy rainfalls were reducing drivers visibility. According to the NY Daily News, the woman had exited of a parked car and was trying to cross Flatbush Ave. A 37 year old motorist hit her and did not stop immediately but returned to the scene shortly after. He told the police that he didn’t realize immediately that he had hit a person. According to the police it is possible that a second car also hit the woman.

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Published on: July 14, 2014

8 year old boy from the Bronx suffers personal injury after being struck by a minivan whose driver was seen texting just before the accident

By GGCRBHS&M

A young boy was seriously injured after he was hit by a minivan Saturday in the Bronx, NYC. According to the New York Daily News, the boy was playing with friends when he ran out into the street. He was struck by a minivan driven by a lady who witnesses said was seen texting behind the wheel prior to the accident. The lady also had her children in her car. She remained at the scene and so far no charges have been filed. The boy who suffered serious but non life threatening injuries was rushed to the hospital.

Published on: July 11, 2014

White Plains Road, a dangerous roadway in the Bronx, New York, will be redesigned to reduce deaths and personal injuries related to traffic accidents

By GGCRBHS&M

With an average of 27 deaths or severe injuries related to traffic accidents per mile, White Plains Road in the Bronx is one of the most dangerous roads in New York City. 8 people died in crashes between 2007 and 2014 and it was identified by the Vision Zero Program as a High Crash Corridor. The intersection at White Plains Road and Morris Park Ave figures in the top 20 High Pedestrian Crash Locations in NYC.

Last week the Community Board 9 voted unanimously in favor of a proposal of the New York City Department of Transportation to revamp the road to make it safer. The changes include modified parking lanes and the addition of a left turn bay to reduce speeding and better organize traffic.

Read more and see video on the Bronx News 12 website

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Published on: July 11, 2014

Despite Zero Vision Efforts to reduce Traffic Fatalities Another Pedestrian was Struck resulting in her Death Yesterday on the Upper West Side of Manhattan a Few Blocks Away from where Cooper Stock was Killed by a Taxi in January

By GGCRBHS&M

A pedestrian was killed after a SUV making a left turn hit her and dragged her down a New York street for half a block . The pedestrian was 61 year old Jean Chamber, an artist who lived on the Upper west Side. She was crossing West End with the light when a SUV making a left turn from 95th street struck her causing her death.

The number of people killed and injured in traffic accidents in NYC during the first five months of 2014 decreased compared to the same period of 2013 with pedestrians deaths down by 21% and pedestrian personal injuries down by 7.5%

By GGCRBHS&M

25 people died in vehicle accidents last May in NYC. Among them were 9 pedestrians, 2 cyclists, 3 vehicle passengers and 11 motorists.This is the highest number of people killed during the length of a month on New York City roads since the beginning of the year. Last April 21 people died in vehicle accidents and during the same month a year earlier, 15 people were killed in traffic accidents.
When looking at the numbers since the beginning of the year, the total number of people killed on the road in the city since the beginning of the year is 97 compared to 99 for the same period of 2013.

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The number of pedestrian deaths was 9 during the month of May compared to 8 last April and 6 in May 2013. Since the beginning of the year 48 pedestrians lost their life in a traffic accident compared to 61 for the first 5 months of 2014, a decrease of 21%.

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The number of cyclist deaths in May 2014 was stable at 2 compared to May 2013 and higher than last April, a month during which one cyclist died. The total number of cyclists who died in a traffic accident since the beginning of 2014 is 5 compared to 3 for the first five months of 2013.
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Published on: June 30, 2014

7 crashes, 8 personal injuries and 3 wrongful death leads General Motors to recall an additional 8.4 million potentially defective cars worlwide

By GGCRBHS&M

General%20Motor.jpg The potentially defective cars are recalled mostly because they may have ignition defects that lead to inadvertent key rotation. The models recalled are models of the Cadillac CTS and SRX, and the Chevrolet Malibu, Monte Carlo and Impala, as well as the Oldsmobile Intrigue and Alero, and Pontiac Grand Am and Grand Prix. The model years range from 1997 to 2014. The trading of GM shares was temporarily suspended during the announcement.

The reckless unlicensed teen driver who killed 4 year old Ariel Russo while fleeing from the police on the Upper West Side of Manhattan was offered a reduced sentence and a sealed record if he plead guilty to manslaughter.

By GGCRBHS&M

Franklin Reyes was 17 year old when he was busted for fatally hitting 4 year old Ariel Russo with his car as he was fleeing from the cops. According to prosecutors Reyes had been driving illegally since age 15 and was bragging on Facebook about speeding.

Ariel Russo’s family wanted the judge to treat Reyes as an adult and to sentence him with 15 years of jail. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro however called it a difficult case and offered a sealed record along with a light sentence of 16 months to 4 years in jail if Reyes plead guilty to manslaughter. “Although the horrific consequence, not heeding to the police orders to pull over, are grave … weighing in all the factors I do think youthful offender treatment is appropriate,” Carro said.

32 year old Brooklyn pedestrian dies after being struck by a hit and run driver

By GGCRBHS&M

A speeding hit and run driver killed a Brooklyn pedestrian who was crossing the street to pick up his car after coming out of a bar on Saturday around 2:45 am.32 year old. Bryan Loughan had just stepped out of the the Gather Inn Again bar in Gerritsen Beach when according to the New York Daily News a white Chrysler minivan speeding south on Gerristsen Ave veered across the yellow line and hit the young man. The impact was so strong that the man landed a few yards away in a grassy area near the street. He was rushed to the hospital but he couldn’t be saved. The driver of the minivan, 50 year old Michael Casale, was apprehended by the police later on and was charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident and aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle.