Authorities reportedly charged a driver involved in a fatal head-on crash in Greenport on Dec. 6 with driving while intoxicated. The 71-year-old man was driving the wrong way on Route 25 when he collided with an oncoming vehicle, according to police.
Purportedly, the 71-year-old man was driving an eastbound Chevy pickup on the highway when he crossed over the double yellow lines and continued traveling into oncoming traffic, ultimately striking a westbound Honda. The passenger in the Honda was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital but did not survive, succumbing to accident-related injuries. The driver of the Honda was treated at the hospital and released, reportedly.
The driver of the Chevy pickup was transported by emergency personnel to the same hospital, where he received treatment for injuries that officials depicted as minor. Police detained the 71-year-old man on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
Reportedly, Southold Police and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s are both actively involved in the accident investigation. Authorities reported that it was raining heavily when the fatal accident happened, and investigators did not immediately rule out weather as a potential contributing factor in the crash.
Regardless of whether a full criminal prosecution results from this accident, the family of the person who perished on account of the wreck may still be eligible to hold the suspected DWI driver responsible for their loved one’s death. That is because certain family members of fatal accident victims may be eligible to seek to establish liability for the incident in civil court, where the burden of proof is much lighter than it is in criminal court, through a wrongful death lawsuit. With the counsel and representation of a lawyer who demonstrates that the car accident was the direct result of another party’s negligence, such as impaired driving, bereaved families my be awarded financial compensation for accident-related damages.
Source: Southold Local , “Man charged in fatal head-on DWI crash to be arraigned Tuesday“, December 15, 2014
