NYPD MAY BE LIABLE FOR FATAL ACCIDENT BROOKLYN, NEW YORK (July 16, 2016)
A 21-year-old man has died an three others were injured in a tragic car accident after a drunk off-duty cop crashed his SUV onto the sidewalk by Bedford Avenue, according to the NY Post. The off-duty police officer responsible for the accident has been charged with manslaughter. Prosecutors were able to identify the man that died as Andrew Esquivel. He has been identified as an MIT student. Authorities are saying that the collision took place in the early morning hours of Saturday after the drunk off-duty officer made a right turn from North Eight Street. Paramedics rushed Andrew Esquivel to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. He appears to have been the only person that died in the fatal crash. Three other people were seriously injured, including one pedestrian who sustained a severed leg. One person was seriously hurt after the SUV pushed him against a fence. Prosecutors were able to identify the three other pedestrians that were injured in the crash as Divya Menezes, Sophia Tabachoun and James Balchaunas. At least three of the victims were Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) graduates who were living in Williamsburg. They were heading home after getting off the L train. There was an outpouring of grief and anger on Facebook. One user by the name of Lisette Reyes wrote, “Oh my God! NYPD needs to address the high incidence of alcoholism in their ranks. Stop ignoring this problem, many NYPD I know drink and drive probably partially because they know they’ll be afforded “professional courtesy” if they get caught but they’re putting everyone, and their own careers, at risk.” It’s time that the law catches up to these rogue officers who think that they can rise above the law simply by flashing their badge. Saturday’s accident is the latest in a long string of accidents involving drunken NYPD Police Officers. The NYPD is currently facing a lawsuit for 90 million dollars after a drunk off-duty cop randomly started shooting his service pistol at pedestrians and nearly killed a man. This accident may very well be indicative of a larger problem involving the Police Department’s refusal to deal with alcohol within their own ranks. If this is the case, then the NYPD may very well be liable for the deadly crash on Saturday morning. There needs to be a thorough investigation into the NYPD and how they are dealing with officers who have problems with alcohol abuse. The Facebook profile belonging to the police officer in this instance showed him with alcohol in around a half dozen pictures.
HELPING THOSE IN NEED BY RAISING AWARENESS
If you or someone that you know has been affected by this accident, we will gladly help raise awareness of any gofundme campaign set up to support the victim or their family. We can link to it in this post which is then spread across our social media platforms. You can send your request to: gofundmerequest@gmail.com. Our staff at the RMFW Law Firm were shocked and heartbroken to learn about this fatal accident that left one person dead and injured so many. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Andrew Esquivel as they cope with such an incredible loss. We also extend our good wishes to Divya Menezes, Sophia Tabachoun and James Balchaunas as they begin the long road to recovery. If there is anything at all that we can do for the victims as they seek medical treatment or have questions about their rights, our phones are always on 212-344-1000.
