Despite billions of dollars being spent nationally on campaigns designed to curb the always-wrong practice of drinking and driving, people still make the decision to do just that.  Unfortunately, many of the results of these decisions are tragic, and that's exactly what appears to have occurred on Saturday in Staten Island, where a woman was violently killed by an alleged drunk driver as she stood near her broken-down vehicle just blocks from her home.

According to police, this New York DUI accident occurred just before 3 a.m. on Saturday morning at the intersection of Targee St. and Laurel Ave.  The woman, Brunilda Maldonado, 47, got out of her vehicle to see what was happening after it stalled.  Soon thereafter, another driver stopped in order to help.  Just then, a Toyota sedan came speeding down Targee St. and slammed into Ms. Maldonado.  The force of the impact was so severe that she was knocked out of her shoes and had her hat sent flying.  She was killed instantly.

The driver, who was later identified as 19-year-old Daniel Lozano, attempted to flee the scene, but he was soon tracked down and arrested.  The preliminary charges include DWI and leaving the scene of an accident, although it's clear that he will soon face much more significant criminal charges.

New York Car Accident Statistics

First, we'd like to extend our condolences to the family and friends of Ms. Maldonado.  To lose a life in such a sudden and violent manner is nothing short of tragic, and we hope that those who were close to her are able to overcome what is certainly a tremendous amount of shock.  Secondly, this latest New York DUI accident will only become part of the overall statistics kept in this regard.  Every year, more than 300,000 New York car accidents take place, killing more than 1,200 people.  Of those 300,000 almost 9,000 New York car accidents involve alcohol.

New York Wrongful Death Lawyers

While the defendant will certainly face tremendous scrutiny from authorities, it's also possible for the family of the victim to file a New York wrongful death lawsuit.  If the claim is successful, damages could be awarded to the family for funeral, burial and medical costs as well as lost income and loss of companionship.  However, these determinations should only be made with the help of New York wrongful death lawyers who have been holding those responsible for these types of losses for almost 40 years.  Contact Fitzgerald & Fitzgerald today to schedule a free initial consultation.