The 16-year-old driver was allegedly traveling more than twice the posted speed limit when he turned a corner on a residential Brooklyn road and lost control. The minivan struck the back of a parked car, swiped a tree, bowled through a fence and finally crashed through a porch on 23rd Street before coming to a stop, the New York Daily News reports.
The driver – who has since been charged with criminally negligent homicide, speeding and reckless driving, among other things – and one 16-year-old passenger both walked away from the crash. The other passenger, a 13-year-old girl, did not. She remained pinned in the back seat, where she died from a head injury.
As our New York City car accident attorneys mentioned in a earlier post to our New York Injury Lawyer blog, car accidents remain the leading cause of death among teens aged 16 to 19. In 2006, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that on average a teenage driver or passenger is killed once an hour on weekends and once every two hours on weekdays. Out of 4,842 teenagers killed in fatal car accidents in 2006, 58 percent – or 2,813 – were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
In an effort to offer talking points to parents of younger drivers, the NHTSA offers a few tips for discussion starters:
~ Be a good example. Don’t rely on driver’s education to prepare your teen for the life-and-death responsibility that comes with driving. Obey traffic laws. Don’t use hand-held electronic devices while driving. Always buckle up. Don’t speed.
~ Know the restrictions your state imposes on beginning drivers and enforce them in your home. State-by-state licensing guidelines can be found here: http://www.iihs.org/laws/graduatedLicenseIntro.aspx
~ Restrict night driving and the number of young passengers who can ride along when your teen is driving. Teens tend to be more distracted, more likely to take risks, and less likely to pay attention to the road when driving with their peers.
~ Be an active participant in teaching your kid how to drive and drive safely and responsibly. Make the time and schedule bi-weekly practice sessions that include a variety of driving situations.
~ ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT and insist they always wear theirs. Enforce a no drinking policy.
As a New York City accident lawyer, Nicholas Rose understands that being involved in a traffic accident is often one of the most stressful times in a person’s life. We would like you to know we are available for a free and confidential consultation if you have been injured in pedestrian traffic accident. To schedule an appointment, call us at 1-877-313-ROSE (7673).
