1 dead in New York car accident, 1 charged

A 28-year-old man has been tragically killed in a crash on Route 9, and the man behind the wheel of the car he was in now faces vehicular manslaughter charges. The driver, a 22-year-old man, has been charged in connection with the fatal car accident by New York authorities. So far, the man has been arraigned and is currently in custody being held without bail. 

According to the accident report, the driver was traveling northbound when he apparently lost control of his vehicle. The car exited the roadway, moving onto the eastbound shoulder before striking several trees as well as a utility pole. The car came to rest in an embankment. 

The 28-year-old passenger had been partially ejected from the vehicle when medical responders arrived on the scene. He was pronounced dead at the scene. When police arrived, they charged the driver with misdemeanor DWI and second-degree vehicular manslaughter before remanding him to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries. Police say their investigation is still underway as of this report.  

If the driver is found guilty of the DWI and manslaughter charges, he could face a variety of consequences, ranging from the loss of his license to the loss of his freedom in the form of jail time. However, New York law also allows the families of a victim of a fatal car accident to file wrongful death charges in civil court against the individual or individuals deemed responsible. In this case, the family of the deceased passenger would use evidence, including toxicology results, to bolster their case in court. 

Source: poughkeepsiejournal.com, “Red Hook man killed in crash; driver charged“, Amanda J. Purcell and Nina Schutzman, Jan. 17, 2016