Child Dead in Long Island Hit-and-Run Accident

Investigators are searching for the driver in a hit-and-run accident that resulted in the death of a seven-year-old boy.

According to police, the boy left his Mastic home without his parents and walked onto the eastbound section of Route 27 between Exit 58 and 59 on Sunday, May 31 at around 10:15 p.m. Soon after, he was hit by a vehicle that fled the scene of the accident. The boy was transported via ambulance to Long Island Community Hospital in East Patchogue, but was pronounced dead of his injuries.

Detectives on the case continued to investigate as of the writing of this article, and were seeking information on the crash.

Hit and runs are criminal offenses

All parties involved in an accident are required by law to remain at the scene of an accident until they can exchange information and/or police are able to arrive to the site. This applies to all drivers, whether or not they caused the accident.

In any type of hit-and-run case, drivers who leave the scene are guilty of a misdemeanor offense at the very least. The severity of the offense only increases if the accident resulted in injuries or fatalities; a hit-and-run accident involving such aggravating conditions can be considered a felony, punishable by significant fines and jail time.

The process of finding a person guilty of committing a hit-and-run can be difficult, but people who have been injured in these cases, or families of people who have been killed, can recover money in civil suits against these drivers, even when they also face criminal cases for their actions.

For more information about the best legal strategies to employ with your case, contact an experienced auto accident lawyer at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia, LLP to discuss your case strategy and legal goals.