Car accidents are an unfortunate part of life in New York City, but that does not mean they are ever easy to handle. They are especially tragic when an innocent victim is cut down by a drunk driver. An off-duty New York City police officer is facing charges, loss of his job and a potential wrongful death lawsuit after he recently struck and killed a 22-year-old pedestrian on White Plains Road in the Wakefield section of the Bronx. The car accident occurred about 4 a.m. The victim later died at a local hospital.
The off-duty officer has been charged with vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and operating a vehicle while intoxicated. He was arrested at the scene of the accident and is being held on $15,000 bail. He has also been suspended from his job, pending further investigation. He had been assigned to a patrol unit in the Bronx.
While the police officer awaits his day in criminal court, the family members of the victim are left to mourn their loss and bury their loved one. No amount of money can bring the victim of a fatal car crash back to life, but still, the family will surely want to hold the person responsible for the wrongful death accountable, if circumstances of the incident merit. The law provides for the estate of a victim killed by the negligent actions of another to recover monetary damages for the loss of life, including punitive damages where reckless conduct was involved. A New York attorney devoted to helping families recover damages for the loss of a loved one may answer important questions and assist in exacting some measure of justice for an unjust act.
Source: The Bronx New York 1, “Off-Duty Officer Arraigned In Fatal Bronx Crash,”, Sept. 15, 2011