When New York car accidents occur, those who were involved in them are required to remain on the scene in order to provide information to those who report to it to deal with the aftermath.  When someone chooses to flee the scene of an accident, that person commits a crime, and that crime can be serious in nature if the other person involved in the crash is injured or killed.  Tragically, that is what police are alleging in the aftermath of a Rochester car accident that left one person dead and another person under arrest.

According to authorities, this fatal Rochester car accident occurred at approximately 2 a.m. on Sunday morning at the intersection of Castleman Road and Rossiter Road.  Raymond E. Arnold, 21, of Rochester was moving in a northbound direction on Castleman Road when Benjamin W. Smith, 42, who was moving in a westbound direction on Rossiter Road allegedly ran through a stop sign and collided with Mr. Arnold.  The vehicle that was hit rolled over onto its side, and Mr. Arnold was trapped underneath and died.  Mr. Smith fled the scene, but his license plate remained there, and he was soon arrested on suspicion of of leaving the scene of a personal injury incident, which is a felony.

New York Car Accident Statistics

First and foremost, we'd like to offer our most sincere condolences to the family and friends of the young man who was killed.  Losing a life in this type of a situation is always truly tragic, and we are at least somewhat relieved that the driver involved in this crash was soon identified and apprehended.  In addition, this fatal Rochester car accident will now become part of the overall statistics regarding New York car accidents.  Every year, more than 187,000 people are injured and more than 1,200 people are killed in these occurrences.

New York Wrongful Death Lawyers

If the facts available are true and the defendant is convicted of a crime, he could face severe penalties.  He could also face a New York wrongful death lawsuit that's filed by the family of the young man who was killed.  If such a lawsuit is filed and it's successful, the man's family could be awarded damages that compensate them for their medical, funeral and burial costs as well as their lost income and their loss of companionship.

If you have lost someone you love in a crash, you need to seek the help of New York wrongful death lawyers who have been fighting successfully for grieving families for 40 years.  Contact Fitzgerald & Fitzgerald today to schedule a free initial consultation.