Go to main navigation
969 Jericho Turnpike, St. James, NY 11780
FREE CONSULTATION - Call Our Firm Today 631-360-0400 631-263-3336 631-360-0400 631-263-3336

Long Island Crash Kills 11-Year-Old and Two Others

Three people were killed in a Holbrook crash on the Veterans Memorial Highway in mid-April, including an 11-year-old girl. The accident happened when the 74-year-old driver of an SUV attempted to make a left turn toward Southbound Coates Avenue. The SUV hit a motorcycle traveling eastbound.

The 11-year-old SUV passenger, the SUV driver and the 23-year-old motorcyclist all died as a result of the crash. An eight-year-old girl, who was also a passenger in the SUV, was taken to a nearby hospital for life-threatening injuries.

Left turn collisions

This traffic accident is a sobering reminder of how devastating left-turn accidents can be—even when all vehicles are following the rules of the road. Who might be at fault for the accident?

New York law requires drivers making left-hand turns to yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic. When a driver fails to wait until the road is clear, whether by accident or poor judgement, they could be considered negligent. In most left turn collisions, the driver making the left-hand turn is responsible for failing to yield and causing harm as a result.

However, there are certain situations in which a left turn collision may not be the driver’s fault. For instance, swerving to avoid road hazards and inclement weather can cause accidents. Sometimes these accidents are the other driver’s fault: if the driver had a left-turn arrow and oncoming traffic has a red light, the person running the red light is to blame.

In the case above, it is not clear who had the right of way at the time of the crash. Depending on the specific facts, either driver could be at fault—which is why it’s so important for personal injury victims and their survivors to work with an attorney.

Reach out to the experienced personal injury attorneys at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia, LLP today for a consultation.