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Report: Long Island Man was Texting Before Fatal Car Accident

An employee of PSEG Long Island was recently involved in an accident when his utility truck crossed into oncoming traffic, striking and killing a woman who was driving his way. It was later found that he was texting his girlfriend at the time of the accident.

The driver is 54-year-old Bayport resident Michael Pepe, who now faces charges of reckless driving and criminally negligent homicide in the death of 47-year-old Barbara Ann Tocci. Pepe was indicted in front of a grand jury in January 2015 and pled not guilty.

Tocci was pronounced dead on the scene as soon as responders arrived to the scene of the accident. In the aftermath of the accident, Tocci’s family has become extremely vocal in their campaign against texting while driving, as well as distracted driving as a whole and driving under the influence.

There have been numerous studies that show just how dangerous texting while driving can be. With every second that a person takes their eyes off the road, they run a greater risk of getting into an accident due to their inability to process everything that’s happening on the roadway. Drivers that are found guilty of texting while driving are automatically considered negligent in the case and are likely to face criminal negligence charges, as seen here in Pepe’s case.

If you believe that a driver involved in a serious car accident was texting or otherwise distracted, it is important to take legal action to seek the damages you need and deserve. Contact the skilled Long Island car accident attorneys at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia, LLP right away.

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