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Articles Tagged with wrongful death NYC

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King Plaza and FlatbushA hit and run driver hit a couple crossing Flatbush Ave, killing the husband and seriously injuring the wife.  Last Thursday around  5pm Angel and Samantha Sagardia were crossing Flatbush Ave in front of the King Plaza Mall in Marine Park, Brooklyn when they were struck by a van. According to witnesses the van was speeding. He hit the woman first and then the man. The van driver didn’t slow down and continued on his way leaving the couple critically injured on the road. A side mirror from the van was also found on the street by investigators. The van was also found later on near the intersection of Rogers and Tilden Avenues in East FlatBush. The driver is still at large.  Read more in the NY Daily News

 

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Grand Central ParkwayA man died in a NYC motorcycle accident yesterday night. According to the NYPD the 28 year old motorcyclist was speeding on Grand Central Parkway, weaving in and out of traffic. As he was traveling in the right center lane he crashed into the back of a SUV. The driver and the passenger of the SUV suffered neck and back injuries and were transported to the hospital. The motorcyclist was also taken to the hospital but he couldn’t be saved.

Read more in the NY Daily News 

Picture of the Grand Central Parkway and Jewel Ave courtesy of Google Map

 

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57 pedestrians, 21 bicyclists and 289 motor vehicle occupants were injured in a car accident between 2010 and 2014 at the intersection of Atlantic Ave and Flatbush Ave in Brooklyn, New York City. 5 people also died in crashes at this same location between 2008 and 2016. This busy intersection is one of the most dangerous in New York City and the Department of Transportation wants to make it safer. Last week the DOT presented  a study of the actual traffic conditions at this intersection and proposals to make it safer. As of now, pedestrian crossings are extremely long, the traffic is heavy and often conflicting with pedestrians while turning. Bike lanes do no connect, taxi and buses block the traffic while dropping passengers and the sidewalk design is not appropriate. The intersection is very dangerous. The DOT proposes not only to redesign the intersection of of Flatbush Ave and Atlantic Ave but also the Flatbush Ave intersections near Hanson Place and Ashland place. Among the changes, the plan includes the addition of pedestrian islands and curb extensions to reduce the crossing distances as well some blocks being converted to pedestrian areas and new signalization. The complete study can be downloaded here

Dangerous Intersection NYC

Picture courtesy of Google Map

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left turn crashes study DOT NYCIn New York City, left turn accidents account for 19% of the crashes that kill or severely injure (KSI) pedestrians and bicyclists compared to 6% for right turns.

At most New York intersections drivers are permitted to tun left while pedestrians are in the crosswalk. While pedestrians have a false sense of security because they are in a crosswalk, left turn drivers often concentrate  on on coming traffic while turning and fail to look for pedestrians. Additionally because they can be taken at a wider angle, motorists tend to take left turns at a higher speed than right turns.

From 2010 to 2014, 108 pedestrians and bicyclists were killed by drivers turning left in New York City, that’s more than 20 people every year and almost two people every month.

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car obstructing bike laneBicyclists riding in New York City have an increased risk of being injured or dying in a bike accident when a car or a truck is blocking their bike lane. The cyclists have to merge into traffic to pass the vehicle blocking the bike lane therefore  increasing their risk of being struck by another vehicle.  People who are commuting by bike in New York City are facing this problem on a daily basis. Bicyclist advocates have been voicing their complaints about this dangerous matter on regular basis and the NYPD listened to them.  This spring the “Bicycle Safe Passage” enforcement initiative was launched. The idea of the initiative is that over several periods of one week during the year the NYPD would focus on ticketing all vehicles blocking the bike lanes or not yielding to bicyclists. This week marks the third week of the operation for this year. During the previous operation last month, the police ticketed 1,757 motorists blocking the bike lane and 810 who didn’t yield to bicyclists. However according to Streetblog, police were also ticketing bicyclists rather than focusing their effort on protecting them.

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The reckless driver of a BMW who killed a mother and severely injured her daughter in a car accident in New York City and ran away has been arrested by the police. Last Sunday 58 year old Jairam Budhu was driving  his BMW with a suspended license at twice the authorized speed limit when he blew a right light and crashed into another car killing a mother and critically injuring her daughter. He then fled the scene of the accident on foot leaving in his car a passenger who was also injured. He was found by the police while having a drink on his porch at 8:00 am on Sunday morning. He was arrested and charged with manslaughter, assault, criminally negligent homicide, leaving the scene of an accident and unlicensed operation of a car. Read more in the NY Daily News

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A mother died and  her daughter was seriously injured in a car accident in New York City yesterday. The 41-year-old woman was riding in a car driven by her husband.  She and  Her 9-year-old daughter were sitting in the backseat. A 71-year-old man  was riding in the car with them in the front passenger seat. They were driving north on 130th Street in South Ozone Park in Queens around 5:00 pm. As they drove  through the intersection of 115th Ave, a speeding BMW  that just blew a red light crashed into them violently. Witnesses said it  sounded like a bomb.  The impact was so strong that the mother and the daughter were ejected  from the car and landed on the street. The mother died and the daughter was seriously injured. The father as well as the passenger were also injured but in stable condition. The driver of the BMW ran away leaving behind him an injured passenger. Read more in the NY Daily News 

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imageA drunk off duty cop killed a pedestrian and injured 3 others in Brooklyn, NYC, Sunday around 3:00 am.  21 year old Andrew Esquivel (photo ), a MIT student interning in New York for the summer , was walking home when he was hit by an out of control car that jumped the curb. Another man and two other women were seriously injured in the accident. The driver of the car was off duty NYPD Officer Nicholas Batka who was allegedly drunk but refused a breathalyzer test. He was charged with vehicular manslaughter, three counts of assault, driving while intoxicated, driving with impaired ability and driving on a sidewalk. Read more in the NY Daily News 

 

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A pedestrian died after being hit by a car in NYC.  The accident happened early Monday morning a little bit before 1:00 am. The 22 year old man had just stolen beers at a Bodega in the Bronx and  was running across Bruckner Boulevard near 149th street. He was struck by a SUV driving west on the boulevard. The pedestrian was found unconscious at the scene of the accident. He was transported to the hospital where he was declared dead. The police are still investigating the exact cause of the accident.

Read more in the NY Daily News

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crashIGA driver died and a pedestrian was injured in a NYC car accident involving a cell phone thief who was involved in a high-speed chase by the police. After allegedly steeling a cell phone at the Queens Village Auto Body shop on Hempstead Avenue, 51 year old Derrick Perkins fled in his BMW. The police were alerted about the theft and Perkins was identified by plainclothes officers in an unmarked car. The police officers tried to stop his car but the man fled. A chase followed. At the intersection of 225th Street and Linden Boulevard, the suspect ran a red light and hit a car.  The impact was so strong that the car careened onto the sidewalk striking a 29 year old pedestrian. The pedestrian suffered a leg injury and was transported to the hospital. The innocent car driver 78-year-old Roxina Clayton was killed in the accident.

The NYPD Patrol Guide states, “Department Policy requies that a vehicle pursuit be terminated whenever the risks to uniformed members of the service and the public outweigh the danger to the community if  suspect is not immediately apprehended.” Among the factors to be considered is the nature of the offence.

Read more in the Gothamist .