On Sept. 23, an elderly driver hit and killed a pedestrian in the Whitestone section of Queens. The brother of the victim told news sources that this incident occurred only a few years after the brothers’ mother was hit and killed in a fatal pedestrian accident.
The man was hit at around 2:15 p.m. on the Whitestone Expressway Service Road and 20th Avenue; he had been selling water. Sources say that the victim was selling water from both the sidewalk and the service road; it was unknown where exactly he had been standing at the time that he was hit.
The pedestrian was hit by a Toyota Camry being driven by a 78-year old man who had a female passenger with him at the time of the crash. The three were rushed to New York Hospital, but the pedestrian was pronounced dead. Investigators say that the 78-year-old lost control of the car, which caused him to collide not only with the pedestrian but with a steel post of the gate to a corporate plaza; the post was nearly knocked out of the ground.
Investigators are trying to figure out why the driver lost control of his vehicle, but no criminal charges are expected to be filed. The family of the victim may still choose to file a civil lawsuit against the driver to recover compensation for the expenses related to their loved one’s death. A personal injury may be able to determine whether the older driver held a valid license at the time of the accident or whether he had any type of medical condition that rendered him unable to drive.
Source: WABC, “Queens car accident leaves pedestrian dead“, Joe Torres, September 23, 2013
