Since New York City is so busy and loaded with vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians, it is inevitable that there will be accidents. However, when these accidents occur, those involved are supposed to remain at the scene, provide help and call for emergency assistance. Unfortunately, many choose not to do that. Hit and run accidents are especially dangerous when they involve pedestrians. When there is a pedestrian accident and it leads to injuries or, worse, a fatality, it is vital that the victim and their family discuss the case with an experienced legal professional.
A chef who worked at a trendy Manhattan restaurant was killed when he was crossing the street in Union Square; an SUV turned the corner and hit him as he was in the crosswalk. The accident occurred around 1 a.m. and the chef, a 34-year-old man, was killed.
According to the law enforcement investigation, the vehicle rolled over the man, stopped and then fled. His skull was broken and he had internal bleeding. He died the next day. Law enforcement thinks that the SUV had made an illegal U-turn right before the crash. The vehicle had been rented from Zipcar and was found, but police are trying to track down the driver.
A pedestrian has no protection when there is a crash with a car. The car will always win. In some cases, the pedestrian will be lucky and only suffer minor injuries. In others, there are severe injuries, but they are survivable and the person will get back to relative normalcy. In the worst case, fatal crashes occur that are compounded by the driver fleeing the scene. The family will be forced to prepare for a funeral and learn to live without a loved one who could have been a breadwinner and a key contributor in a multitude of other ways. With the combination of issues, it is imperative that they think about a legal filing.
Source: nydailynews.com, “Cops find vehicle used in Union Square hit-and-run that killed Brooklyn chef,” Aaron Showalter, Rocco Parascandola, and Graham Rayman, Nov. 16, 2017
