On April 23 at 4:25 a.m., a 33-year old Long Island woman hit a 44-year old man as he crossed Suffolk Avenue close to Applegate Drive in Central Islip. Pedestrian Jose Lino Martinez was taken to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore where doctors pronounced his death.

CBS New York reported that according to the Suffolk County police, driver Vierka Batista-Coronado allegedly struck the pedestrian and fled the accident scene. She currently faces charges of leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death, which is a class D felony.

Pedestrian Accidents in New York City

Metro areas are often dangerous places for pedestrians. However, a report released by Next City in 2017 indicates New York City is now one of the safest metro areas for pedestrians in the country. It ranked 95^th out of 104 metro regions.

Even so, it pays to take precautions. A NYC pedestrian safety study released by NYC DOT (Department of Transportation) stated:

• Pedestrians are 10 times more at risk for death than a motor vehicle occupant in a crash.
• Driver inattention is the cause in 36% of crashes that caused pedestrian death or injury.
• Unsafe speeding is twice as deadly in pedestrian-vehicle crashes.
• Major street corridors are two-thirds more deadly for pedestrians in crashes than smaller local streets.
• 79% of crashes killing or seriously injuring pedestrians involved private vehicles — not taxis, trucks and buses.

Compared with the other boroughs, Manhattan has four times as many pedestrians killed or severely injured per mile of street.

Of pedestrians killed in Manhattan, 43% lived in other boroughs or outside NYC.

After a Serious Accident or Fatality, Contact an Accident Lawyer As Soon As Possible

Protecting your legal rights is vital when you suffer injury or a loved one dies in a pedestrian accident. For more than 65 years, Sackstein Sackstein & Lee, LLP has successfully handled accident cases and we know how to protect your rights and help you seek compensation.

All accidents involving serious injury and death are tragic, but the accident becomes even more complicated when it is a hit-and-run accident. Such was the case in North Amityville, the night of April 3.

Newsday reported the death of a Copiague man, Pierre Prophete, who was hospitalized at the Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip.

Suffolk County police are still looking for the man who fled the scene, the driver of a 2007 Infiniti.

Hit-and-Run Accident Details

Around 8:00 p.m., a 2008 BMW and the Infiniti sideswiped each other while traveling at high speeds on New Highway. The BMW went off the road and collided into a fence. The Infiniti crashed into the rear end of a 2004 Chevrolet Blazer, which caused the Blazer to overturn. Then, the Infiniti hit two parked vehicles and the driver ran away.

Prophete was a passenger in the backseat of the Blazer. The driver and its three passengers were all seriously injured and taken to hospitals for treatment. Prophete died the next day.

Police are still investigating to determine exactly what occurred.

New York Hit-and-Run Accident Law

New York law requires drivers involved in car accidents to stop at the scene of the accident. They must exchange driver’s licenses and insurance information, provide address and contact information, and report the accident to the police. Violating the law can result in criminal charges ranging from a misdemeanor to felony, depending on the seriousness of the accident. Serious personal injury leads to a class E felony charge, and authorities charge drivers with a class D felony when death occurs.

After a Serious Accident or Fatality, Contact an Accident Lawyer Right Away

When a loved one suffers a serious injury or dies in a car accident, it is vital to contact an accident lawyer as soon as possible. Sackstein Sackstein & Lee, LLP has successfully handled accident cases for more than 65 years.