Whenever people are on the city sidewalks and shopping this time of year, there may be a great deal of activity swirling around. When a car careens onto that sidewalk during the busy holiday shopping season, people may be injured or worse. A recent car accident in New York left shoppers injured and resulted in the driver being arrested for a number of charges.
The accident happened on a Wednesday night as a woman drove up on the sidewalk and plowed into shoppers before hitting a store window. People impacted by the accident reported that the driver smelled of alcohol. Witnesses reported seeing bodies of victims fly through the air as the accident unfolded.
Police at the scene took the woman into custody. She reportedly was over the legal limit for alcohol. The police also reported the discovery of two crack pipes at the scene. In all, five pedestrians were hit by the car. The driver was charged with fleeing the scene and also driving without a driver’s license.
The criminal charges the woman faces after the car accident can lead to serious consequences via the criminal court system. It is important for the New York victims and the victims who were just visiting the city to understand that they may have legal recourse in a New York civil court. The victims may be able to seek damages through a civil complaint, and those damages could help alleviate the financial strain of hospital bills or any other expenses related to being involved in the car accident.
Source: nydailynews.com, “Drunken driver in Herald Square crash was Brooklyn ex-attorney who had law license suspended over misplaced funds“, Kerry Burke, Thomas Tracy and Larry McShane, Dec. 11, 2014
