Central Islip, New York - 5-Year-Old Girl Seriously Injured in Crash with Suspected Drunk Driver Sandra Stewart

Child Injured, Driver Arrested Following Crash at Joshua’s Path and Motor Parkway

A 5-year-old girl was hospitalized with serious injuries after her family’s vehicle was struck by a suspected drunk driver on May 26. 57-year-old Sandra Stewart was charged with driving while intoxicated following the crash.

According to the authorities, Stewart’s 2001 Toyota Camry collided head-on with a 2006 Honda SUV when she was turning onto Joshua’s Path from the Motor Parkway in Central Islip shortly before 9 p.m. on Saturday.

The 5-year-old girl was rushed to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore for treatment. She was later airlifted to Cohen Children’s Medical Center in Hyde Park.

There were five other people in the SUV and none of them were injured in the crash.

Legal Options For People Injured by Drunk Drivers in New York

Attorney contributor Laurence Banville has experience helping victims of drunk driving crashes and other car accidents recover the financial compensation they deserve. Here is some general information from Laurence on the legal options available to people who are victims of a drunk driving accident in New York:

In every state, people who are injured by drunk drivers may have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit against that drunk driver. However, in New York and several other states, there is an additional type of lawsuit that is available in certain types of drunk driving injury cases. This second type of lawsuit, known as a dram shop claim, allows some drunk driving injury victims to file lawsuits against the alcohol vendor (like a bar or nightclub) who served the drunk driver prior to the crash.

According to New York’s dram shop laws, alcohol vendors can be held liable for injuries caused by their customers if either of these circumstances applies:

• The customer was under 21 years of age, or
• the customer was visibly intoxicated when served alcohol, and
• the customer’s intoxication was a proximate cause of an alcohol-related injury

The legal options available to drunk driving crash victims vary depending on the circumstances of the crash. If you or a loved one has been injured in a crash with a drunk driver, you can learn more about your legal options by discussing your case with an experienced drunk driving injury lawyer.

Sources:

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Girl-5-Seriously-Injured-in-Crash-on-Long-Island-Driver-Charged-With-DWI-Police-510447561.html

https://nypost.com/2019/05/26/5-year-old-girl-seriously-injured-in-alleged-drunk-driving-crash/

https://www.longisland.com/news/05-26-19/suffolk-police-report-5-year-old-child-injured-by-alleged-drunk-driver.html