On Dec. 29, a woman died in Brooklyn after attempting to cross a street in Greenpoint at around 5:30 p.m. Police said that she was struck by a southbound BMW as she attempted to pass through the intersection of Nassau Avenue and McGuinness Boulevard. After the first impact, she was struck by a box truck. A local told news sources that pedestrian accidents in the area were common.
A nearby resident said that they called emergency services after the car accident but that the woman didn’t appear to be breathing. It’s unclear whether she received first aid from any of the people in the vicinity. The motorists who hit her remained at the accident scene following the incident. Police charged the trucker for operating without a valid license, but neither driver currently faces criminal charges for actually causing the woman’s death.
Reports said that the 32-year-old woman who died was a hairstylist whose work had won Emmy awards and earned her a staff position on the Martha Stewart Show. At the time of reporting, it remained unclear why the motorists couldn’t avoid hitting the 12-year New York resident or whether she was crossing the street at a marked crosswalk.
Wrongful death lawsuits are used by some families as a means of pursuing compensation following the untimely deaths of their loved ones. In order to win judgements, however, these victims must establish that the motorists they’re targeting were actually liable for the accidents. Attorneys may be able to assist with this process by drawing on evidence such as surveillance footage or police reports in an effort to reconstruct the accident in pursuit of monetary damages.
Source: NY 1, “Woman Dies After Being Struck Twice in Brooklyn Intersection“, Arlene Borenstein, December 30, 2013
