Long Island and New York City Lawyer: Wrong-Way Accidents

In just the past several years, there have been more than 20 serious wrong-way driving accidents on Long Island. Most recently, a 26-year-old Queens woman drove six miles the wrong way on Interstate 95 before slamming into another car, killing a New Jersey man New York. These accidents are way too common, scary, and all the more enraging because usually the drivers are either drunk or high on drugs Now State Senator Charles Fuschillo has proposed bill to make it a felony, instead of the misdemeanor it currently is, to driver the wrong way and is urging the Assembly to pass his bill.

Too many innocent lives are taken in these fatal and often avoidable accidents.  Last November, an off-duty police officer was killed on the Northern State Parkway. In a tragedy that made headlines around the country, Diane Schuler went the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway back in 2009 and crashed into an SUV, killing eight people, including herself, her daughter, three nieces and three men in another car. As is too often the case, toxicology reports showed Schuler was driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Fuschillo’s bill is passed, it would make wrong-way driving a felony, either knowingly or because of intoxication.

“The current charge is only an unclassified misdemeanor which is absurd, our penalty in New York State must be stronger, it must be felony charge to serve as a greater deterrent for those who choose to recklessly drive the wrong way on parkways,” Fuschillo told 1010 WINS.

What should you do if you see a wrong way driver

• Pull over to the shoulder and stop. If there is not shoulder, slow down and move safely to the far right of the road.
• Sound your horn and flash your lights.
• Call 9-1-1

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If you’ve been injured in a car accident that was caused by wrong-way driving, get the help and expertise you need to collect the compensation you are owed. Contact our experienced car accident lawyers for a free consultation. We’ll sit down with you and take the time to review your case, discuss everything you need to know, and let you know what to expect from the legal process. Most importantly, our expert lawyers will make sure you get the compensation you deserve.