An early morning Manhattan pedestrian accident on Second Avenue has injured eight people. The man driving the vehicle was arrested after he swerved off the roadway, onto a sidewalk and plowed through a storefront, according to media reports.
According to accident reports, the driver was under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. Investigators have not yet determined how fast the car was going upon collision, but one witness reports that he saw two vehicles speeding down the road when it all happened.
“They were swerving around cars. When the white car swerved right, it lost control,” said the witness.
Our pedestrian accident lawyers understand that speed is a quick recipe for disaster, especially on our busy NY roadways. According to accident reports, the vehicle left the road and plowed through everything on the sidewalk, including a telephone booth, a 25-foot-tall tree, a parking kiosk, parked bicycles and even a street sign. It finally came to rest after slamming into a market’s flower stand.
Among those injured in the incident were three grocery store workers and a bicyclist who was hit by a flying fire hydrant.
The driver had previously face charges for drug possession and drunk driving.
The other speeding car observed by witnesses never stopped.
And this isn’t the first accident of it’s kind. Just three days earlier, an intoxicated driver killed a 53-year-old female pedestrian in Brooklyn. And just before that, a teenager who didn’t have a driver’s license drove a vehicle up onto a sidewalk and killed a 4-year-old girl while reportedly trying to get away from officers.
In 2012, there were close to 150 pedestrians killed in traffic accidents in New York City. Although this was an all-time low for the city (since 1910), it shows that we have much work to do. From 2005 to 2009, pedestrians accounted for more than 50 percent of all traffic accident fatalities recorded in the city, according to the New York City Department of Transportation.
These accidents are most likely to happen while pedestrians are crossing the street. These vulnerable travelers are actually 10 times more likely to die in a car accident than the occupant of a passenger vehicle. Serious pedestrian accidents are 75 percent deadlier on major street corridors than on smaller local streets.
Did you know that a vehicle traveling at just 30 mph may need 125 feet to come to a complete stop, even under ideal driving conditions?
It’s now more important than ever for drivers to pay attention. We need to be cautious to help protect on-foot traffic.
The Law Offices of Nicholas Rose, PLLC offers free consultations to accident victims. Call 1-877-313-7673 to speak with someone about your case and to discuss your rights today!
More Blog Entries:
Speeding Driver Injures New York Schoolchildren Waiting for Bus, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, February 20, 2013
NYC Traffic Safety: Tips for Biking and Walking in Winter, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, January 8, 2013
