Posted on September 1st, 2010
In August, U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Secretary Ray LaHood, announced the NHTSA’s proposal to require buses to have either shoulder or lap seat belts in all seats.
The new regulation would require all buses with a gross vehicle weight of 26,000 pounds, at least sixteen seats, and at least two rows of forward-facing seats behind the driver to have seat belts. LaHood stated, “Seat belts save lives, and putting them in motorcoaches just makes sense”.
However, the rule would not include large school buses or urban city transit buses. NHTSA officials argue that accidents on city buses and large school buses occur less frequently. Furthermore, they stated fears that if seat belts were required to be in all school buses, the cost of getting new buses would result in fewer buses being used, and fewer children getting to school safely. Small school buses of under 10,000 pounds will be required to have seat belts next year.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a bus accident, contact the Brooklyn bus accident attorneys of Parker Waichman Alonso LLP at 1-888-244-2273 to learn more about your rights.
Posted on August 30th, 2010
Late Saturday night, New York state troopers heard reports that a Ford Focus was involved in a hit-and-run accident in Darien, New York at State Route 77 and Sumner Road leaving a person with minor injuries. Officials have not released details about the accident to the public, but Genesee County sheriff’s deputies sent details of the car that fled the scene of the accident to nearby police departments.
Deputies located the Erie County address the car was registered to and found the vehicle left abandoned on Two Road in Marilla. A neighbor then told Trooper Timothy Roof that they thought someone was in their backyard. Roof found 23-year old Jonathan P. Murphy of East Aurora hiding in a cornfield behind Murphy’s neighbor’s house.
Murphy was held at the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office where he was charged with driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury, and other various traffic charges.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident, contact the Brooklyn car accident lawyers of Parker Waichman Alonso LLP at 1-888-244-2273 to learn more about your rights.
Posted on August 27th, 2010
Mary Richardson Kennedy, estranged wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was recently arrested for driving under the influence. It was reported that law enforcement officers in Pleasant Valley Town, New York pulled Kennedy over and arrested her after she failed a field sobriety test. Kennedy was driving with a conditional license.
Kennedy had been arrested previously after police witnessed her run her vehicle over the sidewalk in front of a school in Bedford, New York.
Kennedy was due to appear in Pleasant Valley Town Court yesterday.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident by a drunk driver, contact the Brooklyn drunk driving injury victims lawyers of Parker Waichman Alonso LLP at 1-888-244-2273 to learn more about your rights.
Posted on August 25th, 2010
States across the country are taking part in a nationwide 18-day campaign to crackdown on drunk driving offenders. The campaign began on August 20th and will last through Labor Day, September 6th.
The “Over The Limit- Under Arrest” will require all people convicted of a misdemeanor or felony drunk driving charge during the campaign to install an ignition interlock device in their vehicle at their own expense. This campaign includes first-time offenders.
Executive director of the New York State Sheriff’s Association, Peter R. Kehoe, stated, “Our deputies will be aggressively looking for all impaired drivers; make no mistake, if you are driving under the influence you will be arrested- no exceptions”.
In 2008, almost 400 New Yorkers were killed in drunk driving-related accidents.
If you or someone you love has been injured by a drunk driver, contact the Brooklyn drunk driving injury lawyers of Parker Waichman Alonso LLP at 1-888-244-2273 to learn more about your rights.
Posted on August 18th, 2010
According to a survey by the auto club AAA, 60 percent of drivers have at some point in time been distracted by having their dog in the car with them. Furthermore, only 17 percent of people say they have ever used animal restraints when they bring their dog in the car.
AAA and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals suggest that all drivers who bring their dog in the car use animal restraints. Driving with an animal in the car can be unintentionally distracting and dangerous to the driver, passengers, and animal, as well as other drivers and passengers on the road.
ASPCA officials say that drivers should treat dogs in the car the same as traveling with a small child. Dogs should not be in the driver’s lap or the front seat. This way, drivers are less distracted and the dog won’t be harmed if an air bag deploys. Dogs should be placed in the back seat and secured with animal restraints at all times, suggests the ASPCA.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident, contact the Brooklyn car accident lawyers of Parker Waichman Alonso LLP at 1-888-244-2273 to learn more about your rights.
Posted on August 17th, 2010
The New York Department of Transportation has announced plans to install crosswalk countdown clocks at 1,500 intersections throughout the city. Also, at especially dangerous crosswalks they plan to add medians for pedestrians to stop at in the middle of the road. The plan includes improving at least 60 miles of the most dangerous pedestrian walkways a year.
The DOT’s efforts come after studying over 7,000 accidents in the city to determine cause and common factors. Often, they found that speed was one of the biggest factors in pedestrian fatalities, so they also will reduce speed limits from 30 mph to 20 mph at many of the intersections. Furthermore, the DOT hopes to increase the number of 20 mph zones near schools. Earlier this year there were 25 school zones with a 20 mph speed limit, and they hope to reach 175 20 mph zones by the end of next year.
Improvements will be focused on large intersections such as Broadway in Manhattan, Fordham Road in the Bronx, Queens Blvd. in Queens, Hylan Blvd. in Staten Island, and Fourth Ave. in Brooklyn.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a pedestrian accident, contact the Brooklyn pedestrian accident lawyers of Parker Waichman Alonso LLP at 1-888-244-2273 to learn more about your rights.
Posted on August 12th, 2010
The New York mother involved in the tragic car accident last October that killed 11-year old Leandra Rosado and left six of her young daughter’s friends injured, has plead guilty to driving under the influence. The accident led to the creation of a new New York state law, Leandra’s Law, which makes drunk driving with a child in the car a felony crime.
32-year old Carmen Huertas admitted that she had been drinking at a relative’s birthday party in Chelsea before pick up her daughters friends for a sleepover at her home in the Bronx. New York police officers found that Huertas was driving 18 miles per hour over the speed limit and had a blood alcohol level of .132 percent at the time of the accident.
Posted on August 10th, 2010
76-year old Robert Borchers was killed in a tragic pedestrian accident on Queens Boulevard this past Friday morning when a marked Correction Department vehicle crashed into him.
The accident occurred around 5:30 AM in Kew Gardens when Borchers was crossing the notoriously dangerous boulevard. Queens Boulevard, nicknamed The Boulevard of Death, killed 72 pedestrians between 1993 and 2000.
Witnesses to the accident stated that Borchers had the right of way, while police officers are arguing that he crossed without a walk signal. An investigation by the Daily News which tested whether or not certain traffic lights were long enough for seniors to cross at has some wondering whether Borchers had enough time to cross at the light.
Emergency officials transported Borchers to Jamaica Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Borchers’ family and friends during this difficult time.
Posted on August 6th, 2010
Two members of the New York Police Department were injured while driving their motorcycles in a motorcade escorting Vice President Joe Biden to John F. Kennedy airport this afternoon. Biden was returning from a trip to New York to meet with Mayor Bloomberg.
The accident occurred at 80th street and Astoria Boulevard in Queens. No other details on the how the accident occurred have been released.
Officials reported that the two cops involved in the accident only suffered minor neck and back injuries. Both were taken to local hospitals for assessment and treatment.
Biden’s vehicle was not involved in the accident.
If your or someone you love has been injured in a motorcycle accident, contact the Brooklyn motorcycle accident lawyers of Parker Waichman Alonso LLP at 1-888-244-2273 to learn more about your rights.
Posted on August 3rd, 2010
Yesterday, a 14-year Ferderich Enbre was killed in a tragic bicycle accident when he was struck by a tractor-trailer just blocks from his home. The truck driver says he did not see the boy and braked as soon as he realized he had hit something. Enbre suffered from cardiac arrest at the scene of the accident.
The accident occurred at the intersection of Eliot Avenue and Fresh Pond Road in Maspeth, Queens. The truck driver was trying to turn right onto Eliot when he struck Enbre. A witness working at a nearby cell-phone store told authorities that the intersection is always causing accidents, especially with bicyclists.
Enbre was taken to Wyckoff Heights Hospital where he later passed away.
Out thoughts and prayers go out to Enbre’s family and friends during this difficult time.
