Early last month, an 18-year-old driver was behind the wheel and caused a fatal bicycle accident in Brooklyn in which a pedestrian was also injured. Now, that teen driver is facing multiple charges stemming from the crash including several felonies and could spend a significant portion of his life behind bars.
The fatal bicycle accident in New York City happened at the intersection of Coney Island Avenue and Avenue L in the Midwood section of Brooklyn. Surveillance footage from the scene clearly shows the driver’s vehicle speeding through a red light and smashing into a smaller car. That car was then propelled up onto the sidewalk and fatally struck a bicyclist and, at the same time, wounded a pedestrian.
Now the young driver who carelessly blew through a red light at speeds much higher than the posted limit has been charged with multiple felonies. The list of criminal charges includes vehicular assault, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, running a red light and speeding.
If convicted, the young man could spend up to 15 years in prison for just one of those charges and be facing steep monetary fines. The NYC District Attorney’s office made a bold statement by levying such steep charges against the young driver in an attempt to highlight the seriousness of this kind of accident where someone so blatantly disregarded the law. But will this potential penalty really decrease the number of careless drivers on New York City streets?
Regardless of the criminal charges filed against the man, the pedestrian who was injured and the surviving family members of the bicyclist who was killed can file claims against the owner and driver of the vehicle to recover for pain and suffering, lost wages and other out-of-pocket expenses.
If you’ve been injured by a careless driver while riding in the city, call an experienced bicycle accident attorney in New York City to discuss your case today. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel at 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 for a free consultation right now.