Horrible Accident Involving Unlicensed Teen Driver Kills Four
Five young men were riding in a brand new Suburu Impreza. The driver, 17-year old Joseph Beer, had received the car as a gift from his parents for graduating high school early and enrolling at St. John’s University. Before the end of the night, all but Beer would be dead, after the car failed to negotiate a dangerous curve, leaving the road and hitting a tree.
According to the NY Daily News, the four passengers, all 18-years old, were thrown from the vehicle. The only survivor was 17-year old Beer.
“Unfortuantely, it has its own nickname of ‘dead man’s curve’ because it comes up so quickly and it’s such a sharp turn,” said Lakeview Fire Department Chief Heather Senti. It was this curve that Beer couldn’t handle, and which sent the car off the road. The car was split in half by the tree. Continue reading
Long Island Small Plane Crash Kills Two
A small plane crashed into a Long Island residential neighborhood early this week, killing two and injuring one. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the accident and their findings could reportedly take up to one year.
According to MyFoxNY.com, the accident happened about one mile north of the Brookhaven Airport. When the plane went down, the wreckage caught fire.
Although officials aren’t sure who was piloting, 53-year old David J. McElroy died at the scene, 60-year old Jane Unhjem later diet at Stony Brook University Medical Center. Her husband, 61-year old Erik Unhjem is listed in critical condition and is said to be “fighting for his life.”
Officials believe the pilot pulled the nose of the plane up just before it was to hit a house, then fell to the street. Witnesses said it was obvious the plane was in trouble as it came overhead. Continue reading
Fatal Construction Accident Leads to Criminal Convictions
A 2009 construction accident killed a Long Island man and is just now coming to resolution in court. Two contractors on the accident site were charged criminally with the worker’s death, and the family of the victim also has a lawsuit pending against the reportedly culpable companies.
Robert McGee, 59, a construction foreman from Bohemia L.I. was working at the site on Staten Island during heavy wind advisories. As he knelt on the second story floor, a wind gust brought down a 60 foot tall wall on him, crushing him.
The wall was said to be a known problem, as workers on the site had watched it sway in the wind for days prior. Knowing about the wind advisory, a colleague had called McGee before the collapse, warning him that it may be in his best interest to leave the site.
Anthony Malfi, owner of Well Built Development Corp. who erected the wall, and Michael Fazio of Woodrow Builders, LLC, both faced criminal charges in McGee’s death, something rare but not unheard of. Both pleaded guilty to misdemeanors and will serve no jail time.
The family of McGee also has a lawsuit pending in state Supreme Court, claiming that Well Built did not follow the guidelines set for constructing a commercial office building and that Woodrow Builders did not have an inspector on site to ensure the construction was built according to regulations. Both companies are named in the lawsuit. Continue reading