Child dies in New York car accident

Distracted driving appears to have been the cause of a devastating crash that claimed the life of an 8-year-old boy the morning of Feb. 9. The car accident, which also injured several other people, is still being investigated by New York police. So far, they have not filed charges against the other driver, but it seems likely they will do so at a later time. 

The accident report shows that a 36-year-old man did not stop at an intersection and collided with the other vehicle, which was carrying not only the boy but his 63-year-old grandmother, his 35-year-old mother and his 9-year-old cousin. The force of the impact ejected the boy from the back seat of the car. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital shortly thereafter. 

The grandmother and the other driver suffered only minor injuries in the crash, but the boy’s mother and his cousin both sustained critical injuries and were rushed to local hospitals. It is unclear whether the other driver was taken into custody following the accident. For the moment, no official charges have been announced. 

Should New York police choose to file charges against the driver pertaining to his inattention that directly caused the car accident, he could face stiff criminal penalties. In addition, the family are entitled under state law to file both wrongful death and personal injury suits against him in civil court. These suits are handled separately from any criminal charges that may arise, but they can still use police evidence to prove culpability in the civil cases. 

Source: pix11.com, “New York boy, 8, dies after being ejected from car in crash“, Feb. 10, 2017