Police detectives have reported that the victim of a hit-and-run accident in Port Washington, now deceased, was on foot when he crossed Main Street north to south, just east of South Bayles Avenue.
While in the process of crossing the eastbound lane, the victim was hit by a dark-colored vehicle. The victim, Donald Mooney, 49, of Lynbrook was taken to North Shore University Hospital suffering from serious body and head trauma. He succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at approximately 4:30 a.m. Saturday.
The vehicle that hit Mooney left the scene, but was soon seen and stopped by police officers at Braddock Avenue and Winchester Boulevard in Queens. The vehicle was a black 2010 Ford Fusion, which had front end and windshield damage. The driver was immediately apprehended and taken to Nassau County Police Headquarters, where the vehicle was also taken for testing.
The driver’s name is Cosmin V. Florea, 34, of Baldwin. He has been charged with vehicular manslaughter in the second degree, driving while intoxicated and unlawfully leaving the scene of a fatality.
The circumstances surrounding the occurrence of this fatality seem at present to be clear, as the defendant was allegedly intoxicated and may not have had full control of his vehicle. These incidents are common on New York and Long Island’s roads, but only a few drivers are detected before an accident takes place.
In this situation, it was too late and it was quite possible that the pedestrian fatality took place because the driver was not fully aware of the presence of the pedestrian.
It is devastating for a family to lose a loved one unexpectedly and due to the negligence of another person. It’s often hard to imagine that someone who is intoxicated could get behind the wheel of a car and drive on major highways and city streets where pedestrians may be present.
The victim’s family may decide to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the person who may have caused the untimely death of one of their family members. It might seem callous to put a monetary value on someone else’s life, but when the reality hits, this is the only way you can get the person to stand up and confront his or her mistake and truly see what damage both financially and emotionally they have done.
Money is not everything, but filing a lawsuit reveals how important that person was to the family he or she left behind.
If you have lost a member of your family due to the negligence of another person, whether it’s in a road accident, a prescription error, an elevator accident or even a construction site accident, you should contact Richard S. Jaffe Esq., who is a reputable personal injury attorney in the New York and Long Island area. He will tell you if you have a good case for filing a lawsuit.
You can contact him for a free consultation at the Law Offices of Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP 2001 Marcus Avenue, Suite W295, Lake Success, NY 11042. Phone: 516-358-6900 or toll free: 800-483-6149.
