Man Dead After Drunk Driver Hits Disabled Vehicle on Sunrise Highway
Police charged a man from Centereach with driving while intoxicated (DWI) after he slammed his Jeep into a disabled Toyota on the Sunrise Highway in Sayville. The accident, which occurred early on Wednesday, September 8, resulted in the death of the male driver of the Toyota and critical injuries to his female passenger.
According to police, the 46-year-old man who was killed was not killed in the first crash that disabled his vehicle, but the collision caused by the drunk driver of the Jeep.
The 2011 Toyota Yaris was broken down in the eastbound center lane at approximately 12:25 a.m. near Exit 50 after it hit the center median of the highway and the guard rail in the right lane. The car was stopped in the center lane sideways.
The female passenger got out of the vehicle and sustained her injuries when the Jeep driver hit the driver’s side door, which killed the male driver and slammed the vehicle into her. She was airlifted to Stony Brook Hospital, and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The drunk driver of the Jeep was taken to Long Island Community Hospital for treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.
Drunk driving and civil liability
A person who was injured in an auto accident who wishes to file an accident claim against a negligent party must prove that party’s negligence if they are to recover any compensation in the case.
A drunk driving arrest and conviction is sufficient to prove negligence and liability on the part of a defendant, so criminal cases for drunk driving often tie into civil auto accident cases. Depending on the presence of other aggravating factors, such as excessive speed or an egregiously high blood alcohol content (BAC), the plaintiff may stand to recover even more compensation.
For more information about how to proceed with a lawsuit against a drunk driver who caused your accident and resulting injuries, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia LLP.