Long Island Crossing Guard Killed While Saving Child
A tragic accident in Long Island killed devoted crossing guard Virginia Carol Leviner. At sixty-six years old, Miss Carol (as she was known) had worked that area for nearly thirty years. She loved her “kids,” as she called them, and eventually gave her life for one of them.
On the day of the fatal accident, children were crossing at South Franklin and Grove Street when a semi-truck turned and didn’t stop. Although Leviner was waving her stop sign, the driver did not slow down, much less stop.
Seeing that a child did not notice the truck, Leviner ran and pushed the child to safety before being fatally struck by the 18-wheeler. A true hero, Miss Carol saved the life of that child.
This is a tragic loss for both Leviner’s family and for the community. Her husband, Tallie Leviner, said they had been inseparable since meeting fifty-two years ago, and that her love of those kids would often lead her to bring one or two home when they were in need.
Pedestrian Accidents
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 4,735 pedestrians killed in accidents during 2013 alone. Approximately one pedestrian is killed every two hours in a traffic accident, and in urban areas like Long Island and Manhattan, accident rates are far higher than in the suburbs or more rural areas.
In that same time period, 150,000 pedestrians required treatment at the emergency room for their accident-related injuries. Most injuries were not fatal, but given the sheer size difference between a pedestrian and a vehicle, pedestrians are 1.5 times more likely to be killed in a car accident than a passenger or driver.
18-Wheeler Accidents
When an 18-wheeler is involved in one of these accidents, the chance of death is significantly higher. Given the sheer size and weight of an 18-wheeler, pedestrians have little chance of making it out of an accident alive or without life-threatening injuries.
In some cases, truck drivers may not even be aware of what happened due to their lack of visibility caused by how high up they are. This can even happen in smaller vehicles when children are involved.
If the driver does not realize that an accident has happened, he or she may continue driving, leaving the police to investigate the case and locate the driver.
Long Island Pedestrian Accident Attorneys
All auto accidents are tragic regardless of the age of the victim, type of vehicle involved, or level of injuries sustained. If you were hit by a vehicle or you lost a loved one in a pedestrian accident, you have the right to file a lawsuit against the driver that caused this tragedy.
You only have a set amount of time in which to do so, making it important to work with a lawyer as quickly as possible and not wait for a criminal case to be completed prior to filing a civil lawsuit.
By filing a personal injury lawsuit, you can seek compensation for things like lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering, and more. To discuss your legal options in greater detail, call Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP at 1-800-VICTIM2 (842-8462) or schedule an appointment using the contact form below.
