Authorities are concerned about the number of deaths that are reported involving passengers in the backseats of vehicles in New York. After the tragic deaths of Nobel Prize winner John Nash and his wife in a fatal accident, concern escalated. The couple were passengers in a taxi that was involved in an accident.
Fatal accident: Unrestrained taxi passengers at huge risk
Passenger injury reports are limited in tunnel accident
The Lincoln and Holland Tunnels allow about 200,000 vehicles to enter New York City each day. The recent specter of a bus crash inside the Lincoln tunnel raises the fear that another, more serious crash could occur that would cause a massive tragedy. In the recent accident, the driver of a Route 166 bus ran into the rear of another bus carrying a group of eighth-grade children on a graduation trip, resulting in passenger injury to multiple bus occupants. It happened near the Manhattan side of the tunnel.
Fatal accident may have been triggered by state court officers
A recent fatal accident in New York City raises questions of whether the family of the deceased bicycle rider will be able to collect wrongful death damages. On May 27 at 11:30 p.m., a car was being driven erratically in the Bronx, where it ran a red light and nearly struck a car driven by New York State Court officers. The car kept going, and, after crossing a bridge and traveling a few hundred yards, it caused the fatal accident by striking a bicyclist from behind. The bicyclist flew onto the hood of the car and then landed on the asphalt.
Fatal accident and injury numbers for pedestrians remain high
In about the past 10 months, 8,000 pedestrians and bicyclists have been injured or killed in New York City by motor vehicles. In that same period, the New York Police Department has used the Right of Way Law, which allows them to make misdemeanor arrests of motorists who injure or kill bikers and pedestrians who are traveling with the right of way. The law is part of the mayor's Vision Zero initiative to try and cut down on the incidence of fatal accident or personal injury occurrences involving pedestrians or bikers.
