On July 20, two cars were involved in a deadly crash on Long Island Montauk Highway and South Country Road. The vehicles were going around a dangerous curve that has become infamous for crash fatalities.

Newsday reported that a Shirley man, Gregory Goodley, age 45 was driving a 2015 Ford Mustang and lost control of his vehicle when turning a sharp curve near South Country Road. It was around 2:00 a.m. when he crashed into a Bellport woman’s 2009 Ford. First responders pronounced Gregory dead at the scene. The woman, Rebecca Davis, age 22 was trapped inside her car. Emergency workers worked to extract her from the car and airlifted her to Stony Brook University hospital. Her injuries were serious.

Other Fatalities at the Long Island Montauk Highway Site

• According to the New York Post, the recent fatality is the third occurring at this curve on Montauk Highway CR 80. Three other fatal crashes included:
• Orlando Heinrecker, age 35, was killed at the curve when a crash involving a drunk drier caused him to be ejected from his vehicle in January of 2015.
• Scott Albrecht died in a collision in December of 2010 when a drunk driver crossed into his lane and smashed into his car.
• Another news report indicated a fatal accident occurred here in 2003.

Surveillance cameras at A&D Auto Collision recorded the July 20 accident. A&D is located directly across the street from where the accident occurred. Ironically, Gregory Goodley’s car almost crashed at the exact location of a roadside memorial for an earlier fatal accident victim. Both residents and business owners complain that the hazardous curve has caused dozens of accidents in the past years. They have requested stop signs or traffic lights as a measure to slow traffic down when approaching this curve. The posted speed limit is 50 miles per hour. One resident has even seen cars passing school buses there when buses have their stop signs up.

Apparently Malcolm Stewart, who formerly owned a nearby appliance store, has expressed his concerns about the dangers of this to the Brookhaven Town officials, but nothing has been done.

For Serious or Fatal Car Accidents Seek Legal Help

Negligent parties can be held accountable for accidents that result in serious injury or death. Sackstein Sackstein & Lee, LLP has extensive experience dealing with car accidents and can help you recover compensation too offset medical and other costs associated with tragic car accidents.

During a freak accident on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, Munther Abu-Hamea, who drives for Uber and a Brooklyn limo company, had the shock of his life. A pole came crashing through the windshield of his limo and hit his shoulder.

The New York Post reported that between 70 to 100 poles fell off a truck that was traveling in the opposite direction on the upper level of the expressway. Some of the poles landed on the lower freeway and struck cars. Abu-Hamea said it was like an explosion when the pole hurled through his window.

Details of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway Accident

Limo driver, Abu-Hamea, age 45, said he felt like he was in a movie when the pole shot through the window, hit his shoulder and lodged between him and his passenger-side door. Several other poles hit and damaged the limo’s roof and shattered the dashboard.

The accident left him in a state of fear about driving. He thought he was going to die and never see his children again. However, emergency response personnel treated him at the scene, and he safely returned home to his three sons and three daughters. Even so, this type of trauma can have lingering effects, which makes it particularly difficult for someone who drives for a living.

He wasn’t the only driver affected. Poles hit another driver’s car as well. Medical Assistant, Emil Dura, 57, drove directly behind Abu-Hamea but suffered no injury.

Legal Recourse for Serious Accidents

In this accident, the truck driver and his trucking company would be liable for damages if damages met the legal standards of serious injury.

Under the New York serious injury threshold as covered by Article 51 of the Insurance Law, to recover compensation you must prove that you incurred a basic economic loss exceeding $50,000 or that you suffered serious injury. Serious injury is a personal injury, which results in one of the following:

• Death
• Dismemberment
• Significant disfigurement
• Fracture
• Loss of a fetus
• Permanent loss use of a body organ, member, function of system
• Permanent consequential limitation of a body organ or member
• Significant limitation of use of a body function or system

Medically determined injury or impairment of a non-permanent nature which prevents the injured person from performing substantially all of the material acts which constitute such person’s usual and customary daily activities for not less than 90 days during the 180 days immediately following the occurrence of the injury or impairment.

Consult with an Accident Lawyer after a Serious Accident

A personal injury lawyer can protect your rights if you suffer serious injury due to a car accident. Sackstein Sackstein & Lee, LLP has successfully handled countless personal injury cases on behalf of our clients.