1 dead, 1 injured in New York car accident

A serious crash on Long Island has caused one fatality and sent at least one other person to the hospital, according to local news. New York authorities have reported that a passenger involved in the single-car accident was killed, and the driver was seriously injured. Police have not articulated whether they are intending to file charges against the driver at this time, as the accident is still under investigation. 

Around 5:15 on the evening of Nov. 21, an 81-year-old man was heading westbound after leaving a drug store. Apparently, the man somehow lost control of his vehicle, hopping a curb before coming back into the drug store parking lot. The vehicle struck two parked cars and then crossed a road before striking a tree and coming to a stop. 

Both individuals in the vehicle were seriously hurt in the crash and were rushed to local hospitals. The passenger, an 87-year-old man, was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The driver is still in critical condition as of this writing. Police are not sure what caused the man to lose control of his vehicle, but they are still investigating. 

Elderly drivers face more challenges than their younger counterparts for a variety of reasons, but they are beholden to the same laws as all other drivers on the road. If it is determined that some manner of negligence led this driver to lose control of his vehicle, he may be held criminally responsible for the car accident. Additionally, the deceased passenger’s family may wish to file a personal injury suit through a New York civil court. 

Source: CBS New York, “Nassau Police: Man Killed, Driver Seriously Injured In West Hempstead Crash“, Nov. 22, 2014