Drunk Driver Arrested After Fatal Long Island Accident

A woman in Long Island was arrested for driving under the influence in the early hours of March 13 after she allegedly caused a car accident that killed another driver. Suffolk County police say that the suspect, 36-year-old Natalia Simmons, was driving north on Route 25A in her 2013 Nissan Rogue when she steered her vehicle into oncoming traffic. She then reportedly crashed head-on into a 2012 Toyota Camry.

The accident occurred shortly after midnight in Smithtown. Emergency responders got to the scene as quickly as possible and took the driver of the Camry, a 59-year-old man, to St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center, where he passed from his injuries. Meanwhile, Simmons was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital, and her condition was not provided.

Police officers have asked anyone who witnessed the crime to come forward with information by contacting Crime Stoppers or the Vehicular Crime Unit.

Drunk drivers face severe punishments when they are convicted of the offense, especially when they cause injury or death to other drivers. Not only could they be convicted of felony charges and face major fines and prison sentences, but they also could be forced to pay thousands of more dollars in personal injury or wrongful death litigation. When drivers have already been convicted of DUI charges, plaintiffs in personal injury or wrongful death claims do not need to go to the same lengths to prove that they were negligent in the accident.

To learn more about your legal options after you or a loved one have been involved in an accident with a drunk driver, contact the knowledgeable attorneys at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia, LLP.