Driver Pleads Guilty to DWI After Deadly Accident

A man from Queens admitted to being intoxicated behind the wheel when he caused a car accident that killed an Uber driver on the Long Island Expressway last year. The crash reportedly caused the victim to be propelled into traffic and dragged for approximately a half-mile.

According to prosecutors, the 36-year-old man who caused the accident pleaded guilty on charges of second-degree manslaughter and driving while intoxicated (DWI). Sentencing will take place in September. The man faces between two and six years in prison, although prosecutors were seeking three to nine years.

The crash in question occurred April 7, 2016, in Jericho, and resulted in the death of a 43-year-old man who was on his way home from work. According to police officers, the victim had stopped his Toyota Camry on the Long Island Expressway before the accident occurred at around 2 a.m. He was attending to the vehicle’s front bumper, which had become dislodged after a minor accident earlier that day.

The victim was standing outside his vehicle in the eastbound HOV lane when the drunk driver attempted to pass him on the left, between the Camry and the median. However, the man’s Ford Escape struck both the victim and the vehicle, causing the victim to fall into the left lane, where a Nissan Altima then hit him.

The civil aspects of drunk driving accidents

In addition to the criminal penalties drunk drivers face, accident victims or their family members may pursue compensation from them through a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. If the defendant has been convicted of DWI, it may be easier for plaintiffs to secure damages, as drunk drivers are usually considered automatically liable for car accidents in which they’re involved.

For further guidance on filing a claim against a negligent driver after a crash, meet with an experienced auto accident attorney at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia LLP.