Drunk driver charged following New York car accident

One man is dead and a woman has been arrested following a serious accident in Smithtown, according to local sources. New York authorities responded to the head-on car accident that took place just after midnight on March 13. The woman, an alleged drunk driver, is recovering from her own injuries and awaiting arraignment on DWI charges. 

The accident report notes a 59-year-old man was heading northbound on Route 25A when a 36-year-old woman traveling in the opposite direction crossed the center line. The force of the head-on impact totalled both vehicles. The male driver had to be extricated from his vehicle by emergency workers due to the amount of damage the vehicle sustained. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead some time later.

The woman was also taken to a hospital for treatment for injuries described by rescue workers as non life-threatening. She has been charged with DWI. In the meantime, police continue to gather evidence from the crash site and have urged local residents who may have witnessed the crash to report anything they know to the police. 

A drunk driver carries a special weight in the court of public opinion, considering the preventable nature of any accident caused. Here in New York, if the woman is found guilty of drunk driving, she could face serious jail time and other consequences. In addition, even if the criminal charge is not proved in court, the family of the deceased victim has the right to sue for wrongful death, based upon sufficient evidence of his wrongdoing. 

Source: Hauppauge NY Patch, “Smithtown Crash Kills 1, Kings Park Woman Charged With DWI“, Ryan Bonner, March 13, 2015