New York Wrongful Death

Published on: March 13, 2015

Vigil held today to mark one-year anniversary of the tragic gas explosion in East Harlem which killed 8 people and injured dozens

A year ago 8 people were killed and many others suffered severe personal injuries in a gas explosion that destroyed two five-story buildings in Manhattan. A vigil led by Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito was held this to mark the anniversary of this tragedy. Cecilio Hernandez, a Mexican immigrant who lost his wife and his daughter in the explosion will be among the attendees with Oscar, his teenager son who was badly injured and spent months in the hospital recovering from his injuries. The family lived in the 1644 Park Avenue building. Four other victims lived in this building: Griselde Camacho, 44, Carmen Tanco, 67, George Amadeo, 44, and Alexis Salas, 22. The two other victims 43 year old Andreas Panagopoulos and 34-year-old Mayumi Nakamura lived at 1646 Park Avenue.

The investigation indicates that the ground beneath the building was saturated with natural gas.

The 8:30 a.m. vigil was held at 108 E. 116th St. and attended by other survivors of the blast along with Mark-Viverito and other elected officials. Read more in the New York Daily News

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Published on: March 10, 2015

18 year old driver who struck and killed 4 year old Ariel Russo on the Upper West Side of Manhattan accepted a plea deal for the 2013 fatal crash and several other additional run-ins with police

By GGCRBHS&M

Franklin Reyes admitted that he struck Ariel Russo, resulting in her death, because he was speeding while trying to avoid being arrested by the police without a license after he was caught making an illegal turn. He will spend up to nine years in jail. 4 year old Ariel Russo was walking to school with her grandmother when Reyes lost control of his car and struck both of them at the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and West 97th street in NYC. Ariel died in the accident and her grandmother, 46 year old Katia Gutierrez was seriously injured. Read more in the NY Daily News

Published on: March 4, 2015

20 year old pedestrian dies in a truck accident in New York

By GGCRBHS&M

A tractor trailer fatally hit a young man who was crossing a street in the Bronx, NYC, Tuesday night. The truck accident happened around 10.20 pm. 20 year old Kenny Valette was crossing Webster Ave near E. 174 Street when he was struck by a large truck that was making a right turn from the Cross Bronx Expressway exit ramp. The drivers remained at the scene while Valette was transported to the hospital where he died from his injuries. Read more in the NY Daily News.

According to NYCcrashmapper.com, 1 pedestrian, 11 passengers and 3 vehicle drivers suffered personal injury in 29 collisions that took place at the intersection of East 174 street and Webster Ave between August 2011 and February 2014. As shown in the Heat map this intersection is very dangerous.

Published on: March 1, 2015

The number of pedestrians dying after being struck by a vehicle in New York City decreased by 23% in 2014 compared to 2013 while the number of cyclists killed in bicycle accidents increased by 73% for the same period according to recent NYPD statistics

By GGCRBHS&M

10 pedestrians died and 1220 suffered personal injury in traffic accidents last December bringing the total number of pedestrian deaths to 135 in 2014 compared to 168 in 2013 and 130 in 2014 according to car crashes data recently released by the NYPD. The total number of pedestrians injured in vehicle accidents for 2014 was 11,000 compared to 11,978 the previous year, a decline of 8%. While pedestrian deaths are back around the level of 2012, deaths as a result of a bicycle accident increased by 73% with 19 fatal bicycle accidents in 2014 compared to 11 in 2013. The number of people injured in a bicycle accident decreased by 2% with 3960 cyclists injured in 2014 compared to 4043 in 2014.

Globally New York City roads were less dangerous in 2014 than in 2013 with a total of 250 people dying in crashes in 2014 compared to 286 in 2013 – a decline of 12% – and 50,896 road users suffering personal injury in 2014 compared to 54,818 in 2013 – a decline of 7%.

Even though pedestrian deaths and injuries decreased in 2014, the number of pedestrians suffering personal injury in a vehicle accident was above 1200 in December, the highest monthly number for the last two years. Monthly pedestrian deaths never went over 15 in 2014, an improvement compared to 2013, a year during which the monthly number of deaths jumped to 25 in November and 20 in January.

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Published on: February 26, 2015

The National Transportation Safety Board just released a preliminary report on the fatal Metro-North train accident that happened 3 weeks ago

By GGCRBHS&M

A preliminary report related to the accident between a northbound Metro-North Railroad passenger train and a 2011 Mercedes Benz ML350 sports utility vehicle (SUV) that killed six people in Valhalla, NY was published a few days ago by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The accident happened on February 3rd 2015 . The report indicates that witnesses saw the SUV stopped on the railroad crossing before the gate went down. As the gate lowered it fell on the back of the car. The driver exited the car, looked at the back and went back in the car. She then proceeded to drive forward when she was struck by the train. The driver of the train operated the emergency brake 300 feet before the collision and hit the SUV at a speed of 49mph. As the train and the car continued to travel northbound, a dozen large pieces of the electrified third rail detached, piercing the SUV, tearing into the first passenger car in two locations and setting it on fire. The preliminary report doesn’t provide any information on how and why the third rail pieces were able to detach. Furthermore according to the NTSB the warning lights, alarms and gate arms were functioning however the accident has prompted new attention to the safety of such crossings around the New York City region. Read more in the New York Times

Published on: February 24, 2015

A pedestrian died after being struck by a hit and run driver in Queens, NYC, on Sunday night, that’s the second hit an run in Queens in one day

By GGCRBHS&M

A woman in her 2o’s was crossing the street at the intersection of 76th Street and Woodisde in Queens, New York City, on Sunday night when she was struck and killed by the driver of a box truck. The driver of the truck hit the victim as he was turning onto Woodside Avenue but he didn’t stop. He drove away leaving the woman to die in the street. A witness at the scene followed the box truck for a few blocks, stopped the driver and managed to hold him until the police arrived. The police arrested the driver, 27 year old Valentine Gonzalez and charged him with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and driving without a license. Earlier in the day in Queens another woman was struck by a hit and run driver (see previous post)

Pedestrian deaths are the perfect crime according to former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson

By GGCRBHS&M

“Pedestrians vs. Cars: Manhattan’s Deadly Traffic Problem and What Can Be Done About It” was the subject of a discussion led two days ago by DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson, councilmember Helen Rosenthal, Dana Lerner, and members of the NYPD at the New York Society for Ethical Culture. During the dicsussion Jill Abramson noted that most of the time when a driver kills a pedestrian, nothing happens, not even a ticket. The discussion also covered subjects such as grievance for families who have lost a loved one in traffic accidents, recent traffic accidents data and speed cameras.

Read more in the Gothamist
Picture: Right of Way

Published on: January 12, 2015

A hit and run driver who fatally struck a 44 year old female pedestrian in Harlem on December 31st just surrendered at the DA’s office

By GGCRBHS&M

28 year old Prezidor Porbeni surrendered and admitted that he fled the police after he fatally hit a woman with his SUV in Harlem, NYC, on New Year’s eve.

The victim, 44 year old photographer Guler Ugur-Yaacobi (see picture), was hit by the SUV near the intersection of W.113th St and Amsterdam Ave at the beginning of the evening on December 31st. The impact was so strong that witnesses said the woman was sent 80 feet down Amsterdam. She was pronounced dead when she arrived at the hospital.

Porbeni turned himself in after the police released surveillance video and asked the public to help them find Porbeni’s 2006 Land Rover. He was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and driving with a suspended license.

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Published on: December 1, 2014

A boy and his dad who were injured in the Harlem gas explosion say thank you to the rescuers, doctors, neighbors and strangers who helped them

By GGCRBHS&M

16 year old Oscar Hernandez suffered severe personal injury and his mother and sister died in the Harlem gas explosion that destroyed a building on E. 116th street in Harlem, NYC on March 12th this year. The young man spent 11 days in a coma and when he came out of the coma, he needed several surgeries that kept him in the hospital until June 27th. Oscar, his dad and his little sister are the only members of the family who survived the gas explosion. On Thanksgiving all three are happy to be alive and thank all the people who helped them.

Man died in New York Subway accident

By GGCRBHS&M

A man was fatally struck by a subway after he fell on the track in the Bronx, NYC, last week. The victim was hit by the southbound 6 train at the St. Lawrence Ave. station about 6:15 a.m., officials said. The police are still investigating the cause of the accident.