New York firefighter charged in car accident

An off-duty FDNY fire fighter has been arrested following a crash on the Grand Central Parkway in Queens on the evening of Oct. 12. New York police arrested the man and have charged him with DUI as well as several other charges for his role in the car accident. His arraignment was pending as of this report. 

Officials report the man rear-ended a car before fleeing the scene in his vehicle. Police caught up with him near La Guardia airport when he got stuck in traffic. He was arrested without incident, but he apparently refused to comply when police asked him to take a Breathalyzer test. 

The occupant of the vehicle he hit, who has not been publicly identified by police at this time, was taken to a local hospital for treatment. That individual is said to have suffered minor back and neck injuries. The fire fighter faces charges of driving while intoxicated, refusing a Breathalyzer test and fleeing the scene of an accident. 

There is a good possibility that the fire fighter will be suspended from duty pending his arraignment. If he is found guilty, he could lose his job and might face jail time for his role in the car accident. In addition, New York state law allows the injured party to file a personal injury suit in civil court. While minor neck and back injuries may not sound serious, there is a potential for such injuries to manifest more seriously as time goes on. Filing a personal injury suit directly following the injury can be considered proactive in this case, as any financial damages that are won can then be applied to the injuries at a later time if needed. 

Source: New York Daily News, “Firefighter arrested for driving drunk, hitting car in Queens“, Thomas Tracy, Oct. 13, 2016