Truck accident leaves New York traffic agent dead

Millions of people take to the streets of New York City every day. Heavy traffic is often the result of so much movement in such a concentrated area. New York traffic enforcement agents play a critical role in ensuring the safety of these travelers. For one public servant, a truck accident on a busy midtown street tragically cost him his life.

According to reports, an agent was struck and killed by a large industrial vacuum truck on East 44th Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues. The truck driver was pulling out and apparently did not see the man standing in his path. The victim, a resident of Queens, was pronounced dead at the scene. Minutes after the accident occurred, a coach bus also collided with the truck, but no further injuries were reported.

Investigators say both drivers remained at the scene, but further details about the accident have not been released. The incident remains under investigation, and no charges have been filed at this time. Fellow agents were visibly shaken, trying to console one another as they mourned the loss of their fallen colleague.

Traffic enforcement agents have a dangerous job, but truck driver negligence could prove to be a factor in this case. While the victim’s family is likely entitled to workers’ compensation death benefits as a result of the fatal; accident, there are further options for legal redress. In New York, the families of victims killed in a truck accident may seek financial compensation for their losses if negligence can be proven. Such losses might include loss of wages, funeral and burial expenses and other damages permissible under our wrongful death laws. A successfully litigated claim can help to ease the family’s financial burden, and it may even provide them a sense of closure as they try to come to terms with their loss.

Source: newsday.com, Cops: NYPD traffic agent hit, killed in Manhattan, Kevin Deutsch, Nov. 30, 2013