Recently, the mayor of New York City launched an initiative called “Vision Zero” in order to reduce pedestrian and traffic deaths. Unfortunately, yet another fatal pedestrian accident occurred on June 9. According to reports, two women were walking on a sidewalk along Hylan Boulevard when a 2005 Honda Accord left the roadway and struck them.
One of the women, 31, died at the scene of the accident. Her cousin, 20, survived with minor injuries and was transported to Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze. Both lived with the deceased victim’s father in New Springville.
The father said that according to posts on social media, his daughter pushed her cousin out of the way, which is possibly what saved the 20-year-old’s life. Police were not able to corroborate that, though.
A woman who lives close to where the accident happened said that the sidewalks need barricades. She said that this is the second time that an accident has happened because a car jumped the curb. The woman’s husband wrote the city a letter, demanding action to improve pedestrian safety.
According to a spokesman for the New York Police Department, the driver of the vehicle, a 23-year-old man, was in possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia. Toxicology tests for drugs have been taken, but police are waiting for the results. The man’s driver’s license was also allegedly suspended. He was charged with drug charges and driving on a suspended license.
When someone is killed or injured because of another’s negligent actions, a civil lawsuit may be filed to pursue compensation for expenses, losses and damages. It won’t undo the tragedy, but it can make it easier to deal with the financial difficulties the accident might cause.
Source: silive.com, “‘Here today, gone tomorrow,’ says distraught father of woman struck by car on Hylan Boulevard” Ryan Lavis, Jun. 09, 2014
