Drinking and driving is never a good decision, and it’s even worse to consume alcohol, get behind the wheel of a vehicle and then drive at extremely high rates of speed. If that isn’t enough to constitute recklessness, doing this on the streets of New York is even more reckless to the point where some may consider it depraved. Tragically, a taxi cab driver was killed yesterday when he was violently hit by a vehicle that was being driven by an alleged drunk driver.
This is hardly the first time that such an incident has happened in New York. Every year, more than 8,400 New York DUI accidents occur. These crashes lead to more than 6,000 injuries and to more than 350 fatalities. In other words, 500 people are injured in crashes involving drunk drivers every month and nearly one person in the state is killed every day. These numbers have held steady across the state for a number of years.
Therefore, while the family of the taxi cab driver is far from alone, that in no way will mitigate their grief, shock and sadness. The accident occurred on the Grand Central Parkway near 188th Street in Queens. The crash occurred at approximately 3:15 a.m. just after the taxi cab driver had dropped off his last fare on his shift. Police estimated that the unidentified 19-year-old male driver of the Honda that hit the cab was moving at approximately 80 miles per hour when the accident occurred.
The driver of the Honda apparently attempted to flee the scene of the accident but was soon apprehended. He was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and underage drinking and driving. If these charges stick and the prosecution of them moves forward. this situation could be only one of several different legal problems he will face. Of course, those problems pale in comparison to the struggles that the family of the man who was killed in this accident will have to endure. They could have legal options that include the filing of a New York wrongful death lawsuit against that driver.
If you have lost someone you love to a drunk driver, you need to seek the help of the New York accident lawyers at The Fitzgerald Law Firm. Contact the firm today to schedule a free initial consultation.