Pedestrians dead in New York car accident

Two people tragically lost their lives after a serious accident near a party in the early morning of Aug. 20. New York authorities have confirmed that two 18-year-old victims were killed. Two more were injured in the car accident. So far, police have not filed charges against the driver. 

The accident report states that the vehicle, driven by a 20-year-old, was traveling southbound when the accident happened. The vehicle reportedly struck four pedestrians on the side of the road. It is unclear if any other vehicles were damaged in the crash. 

Three of the four pedestrians were injured in the crash. An 18-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman, were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The third was rushed to a local hospital via airlift, but has since been released. The driver reportedly suffered minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. Police have not yet filed charges against the driver, but their investigation is ongoing at the time of this report. 

Even if New York police decide not to file charges against the driver involved in the car accident, the families of the deceased individuals and the injured third party still have legal recourse available to them. Wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits are not contingent upon criminal charges or convictions when they are filed in civil court. As long as sufficient evidence exists to suggest the driver negligently contributed in a material way to the accident, the families of the deceased and the injured person could be awarded judgments for monetary damages. 

Source: wivb.com, “Two dead after car hits pedestrians in Wheatfield“, Brian Tabor, Aug. 20, 2016