A Manhattan woman was recently celebrating her 65th birthday by taking a walk with her boyfriend, but the pleasant stroll turned into a nightmare. The woman and her boyfriend, 69, were on the sidewalk near East 102nd Street and Park Avenue when a taxi ran a red light. The taxi collided with a box truck, which careened onto the sidewalk and pinned the victim against a fence.
The boyfriend clung to his girlfriend’s body while awaiting help, but the paramedics could not save her life.
“It’s still like a nightmare that I wish I can wake up [from]. But I’m not,” said daughter Vivian Rivera.
The taxi driver and his two passengers were hospitalized with injuries but are expected to survive. The box-truck driver avoided physical harm, but endured an incredibly traumatic experience.
Unfortunately the pedestrian collision continues what has been a deadly November for New York City walkers. Several days ago, two construction workers were killed on Queens Boulevard when a young motorist lost control of his vehicle and hit them on the sidewalk.
It’s horrible that people and their families needlessly suffer because of a driver’s negligence. While you cannot undo the wrong, you can hold the at-fault motorist accountable in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.
Source: ABC News, “East Harlem Accident Kills Woman On Birthday,” Josh Einiger, Nov. 11, 2013
