1 killed, 2 injured when driver hits pole in fatal accident

What happens when a substantial injury or death is caused in a vehicular accident by a driver whose troubles with the law and criminal activities are extensive? One big problem for the victims will be that the troubled driver causing the fatal accident often carries no liability auto insurance. That may be the situation in Staten Island where a 22-year-old male has been charged by the New York City Police Department after allegedly trying to run a red light and crashing into a pole, killing a 19-year-old female passenger and hospitalizing an 18-year-old passenger.

The driver has a very long string of driving and criminal offenses in New York. Some of these involve recent violations such as driving with a suspended license, hit and run, and association with drug gangs. In fact, in February he crashed into a parked car and killed a 65-year-old woman while he was fleeing the police after being stopped on a traffic violation.

Based on that last incident, it is unlikely that he could have restored his privileges and obtained insurance by now. If he was driving someone else’s vehicle, issues of whether he had permission and whether an unlicensed driver will be covered under a policy may complicate the picture. The problem highlights the importance of every auto owner purchasing uninsured motorists’ coverage.

In New York and other states, a person purchases uninsured motorists coverage to provide the equivalent of liability insurance if the person or insured family members are injured or killed by a driver with no insurance. An insured driver can purchase substantial amounts of uninsured coverage, which can be of valuable assistance in a fatal accident such as this one. There may also be other avenues of collection of benefits for an injured or deceased victim, and the best way to track these potential avenues is to obtain an early consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney.

Source: NBC New York, “Man Charged After Crash Kills Woman, Badly Hurts Another On Staten Island“, Lori Bordornaro, July 27, 2015