Operating a vehicle negligently on the roads of New York can have serious consequences. Trucking accidents often result in catastrophic injuries and loss of life, which was the case in an incident that occurred last summer.
A New York court has indicted a 44-year-old truck driver on numerous charges, including manslaughter, aggravated vehicular homicide, driving while impaired by drugs, unlicensed operation of a vehicle and driving while talking on a cellphone.
The charges came as a result of an accident that took place in July 2012. The accident occurred when the defendant’s cement truck hit a school bus that was transporting children with special needs. Prosecutors claimed that the defendant, who pleaded not guilty, was high on drugs.
The bus driver was killed and five others were injured in the accident. Three children suffered minor injuries, another child suffered a fractured jaw and a 64-year-old bus chaperone suffered multiple fractures, which required two surgeries on his broken hip. The man is still struggling to walk six months later.
According to prosecutors, the defendant has a long history of drug arrests. The driver was allegedly high on Valium when the accident occurred. The truck driver’s attorney, argued that Valium is not an illegal drug and that the defendant was not impaired. The next court date is scheduled for February 20.
In addition to the criminal charges, the victims have filed a lawsuit against the company the man was driving for. The suit is just one of the remedies available to the victims and their attorneys to extract some measure of justice for negligent conduct.
Source: New York CBS Local, “DA: L.I. Cement Truck Driver High On Valium At Time Of Deadly School Bus Crash,” Jan. 23, 2013