Fatal car accident in New York leaves 1 dead

A man is dead and his friend is facing manslaughter charges following a serious crash in the Bronx the night of Jan. 5, according to police. New York authorities arrested the driver of the vehicle involved in the car accident and charged him with impaired driving, manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident and other crimes. Three other individuals involved in the crash are still in the hospital. 

According to the accident report, around 9:00 p.m. the sedan carrying a driver and four male passengers crossed into oncoming traffic on Boston Road, striking an oncoming minivan head-on. The force of the impact sent both vehicles careening into a third, unoccupied vehicle. The driver of the minivan managed to escape with minor injuries, but the passengers in the sedan were not so lucky. 

One man, a 21-year-old, was killed. The other passengers in the vehicle were trapped and had to be extricated by arriving medical and emergency personnel, all with serious injuries. The driver, who was believed to be legally drunk, fled the scene on foot but was later caught at the hospital and arrested. It is unknown whether he has retained counsel at this time.

If the driver is found to have been drunk and/or otherwise materially responsible for the fatal car accident that killed his friend, he will likely face jail time. The family of the deceased passenger is entitled under New York law to file a wrongful death suit against him, and the injured parties may also file personal injury suits against him. All such suits are handled in civil court. 

Source: NBC New York, “Friend Charged With Manslaughter After Fatal Bronx Crash: Police“, Rana Novini, Jan. 6, 2017