Suspect Charged in Long Island Hit-and-Run Collision

A suspect was charged after a man was hospitalized due to being struck by a driver at a busy intersection in Long Island. The driver fled the scene of the accident immediately after it occurred, prompting a police investigation.

According to representatives from the Suffolk County Police Department, the accident occurred at the intersection of North Morris Avenue and Portion Road in Farmingville at about 10:30 p.m. on the evening of Thursday, February 20. When they arrived at the scene, officers found 24-year-old Gabriel Perez injured in the roadway. The man was immediately transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment, where he was listed as being in serious condition.

The resulting investigation determined he was hit by a vehicle that fled the scene. Police carried out a search and two days later arrested 35-year-old Rene Bautista-Mendoza of Farmingville, charging him with leaving the scene of an accident causing serious injury.

Your options when injured in a hit and run

If you or a loved one are injured in an accident caused by a driver who flees the scene, you have a couple options depending on what happens in the ensuing investigation. If the driver can’t be found, you would file a personal injury claim on your own insurance. However, if police are able to locate the driver, you can file a claim against that driver, and potentially seek punitive damages.

Any driver responsible for a hit-and-run not only faces civil lawsuits, but potential criminal charges. Leaving the scene of an accident causing injury or death is a felony, meaning it is punishable by potentially significant fines and jail time, depending on the severity and circumstances of the crash.

To learn more about the steps you should take if injured in an accident, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia, LLP.