1 child dead in tragic New York car accident

A man is facing nearly 24 charges in association with a fatal accident in Virgil, according to local sources. The man has been arrested by New York authorities and is now facing charges, including drunk driving and child endangerment following a car accident that claimed the life of a child and injured several others. Additional charges may be pending as the investigation is still underway. 

Police have confirmed the man was traveling east on a local roadway around 8:45 p.m. when the crash took place. He was allegedly speeding at the time and lost control of his vehicle, which hit a utility pole before coming to rest on the side of the road. A total of five passengers occupied the vehicle at the time of the crash, including three children between the ages of 6 and 10. Apparently, none of the children were wearing seat belts.

All three children were taken to local hospitals with serious injuries, and one was later pronounced dead. One of the two adult passengers was also injured, while the other declined treatment. In addition to the DUI charges, the man is facing aggravated vehicular homicide charges, which could see him facing serious jail time if convicted on those charges alone. 

In addition to the criminal charges arrayed against him, the man could also be facing wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits pertaining to the car accident. New York law allows the family of the deceased child as well as any injured parties to file civil suits against the driver believed responsible for the crash. If it is proven he was drunk at the time of the accident, that would typically go a long ways toward establishing financial liability in civil court. 

Source: syracuse.com, “Drunk driver crashes, kills child passenger in Cortland County, deputies say“, Jacob Pucci, April 25, 2015