Two Killed in Hit-and-Run on Long Island

Two men recently died of injuries suffered in a hit-and-run accident on Long Island.

The accident occurred on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 11. According to Suffolk County police, the men were working on a pickup truck that was parked on the shoulder of Express Drive South, close to the intersection with Wendy Drive. Suddenly a driver struck them with their vehicle at approximately 5:30 p.m. Rather than remaining at the scene in accordance with the law, the driver took off heading east on Express Drive South.

Both men were taken to a hospital for treatment, but were pronounced dead of their injuries. Police later arrested a 30-year-old Lake Ronkonkoma woman in conjunction with the accident and charged her with two counts of leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death. She was scheduled to be arraigned the following Sunday.

Hit and runs are serious offenses

When a driver injures or kills someone in a hit-and-run accident, that driver faces both potential civil and criminal consequences.

All parties to an accident are required by law to stop and remain at the scene of an accident, regardless of fault .Should the accident be minor with little or no damage and no injuries the parties may choose to go their separate ways without involving police or ambulances. But if emergency response is necessary, all parties must remain at the scene or risk criminal prosecution.

A hit-and-run accident on its own is typically a misdemeanor offense, but when it results in serious injury or fatality it can rise to felony status. This means a person found guilty of such an offense could be punished by significant fines, prison time and license revocation.

For more information about your options for recovering compensation if you’ve been injured in a hit-and-run crash, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia, LLP.