Tragic Accident Changes Lives in a Second

In the beginning of August around midnight at the intersection of Broadway and Legacy Court in Greenlawn, a 17-year old driver struck a 32-year-old man walking on the shoulder of the road. The driver did not remain at the scene of the accident and the man was taken to the hospital where he later died. Authorities arrested the driver and charged her with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.

Dangerous Poorly Lit Street

People living in the neighborhood claim the street is dangerous. It has no sidewalks, no stop light at the intersection and cars passing through generally drive at high speeds. One resident said that 11 days prior to this accident, his car, which was parked in his driveway, was hit by another car. It was the second collision to happen on his property within the past year. (CBS New York)

Why the Driver Did Not Remain at the Accident Scene

Newsday reported that the 17-year-old driver said the area was very, very dark and she did not realize she had struck a pedestrian. She said after she hit something, she stopped and saw a person standing alongside the road and he did not appear to be injured. When her father brought the news report to her attention the next day, she realized what had happened and turned herself in to the police.

She was an honors student, who had won a science scholarship, and was about to begin college at upstate SUNY campus. She was driving home from a girlfriend's house where they had been making cookies and cupcakes. Authorities did not allege any use of alcohol in the charges. She did not realize the man had died and was devastated and traumatized upon hearing of his death.

Hit and run accidents can be tragic events for both the victim and the driver.

Legal Recourse for the Individual Killed in the Accident

In the case of this hit and run accident, since the driver came forward, there is no need to investigate and locate the driver. Death meets the New York Serious Injury Threshold, which allows the family to pursue a third party claim. The personal injury attorney would have to prove negligence on the part of the driver to recover compensation for wrongful death.