According to LoHud.com, a SUV ran over a 15-year-old girl and injured four other people in a pedestrian accident at the Finkelstein Memorial Library in Chestnut Ridge on May 27. 
The news outlet reported that the driver of the SUV, a man in his late 50s to early 60s, told police mechanical trouble caused him to lose control of his Toyota RAV4 before striking the girl. The girl was reportedly pinned underneath the SUV, inside of the library.
“She had to be rescued by the fire department and EMS personnel putting the airbags under the car to lift the vehicle off of her,” Chestnut Ridge Police Lt. Jack Bosworth told LoHud.com. “We have other people who were injured….[w]e did have a STAT Flight on standby. It turned out we didn’t need them.”
The girl reportedly suffered a broken leg and “serious” injuries. Another victim, an adult woman, suffered head injuries and bled heavily, according to the news outlet. The other pedestrians all appeared to suffer non-life threatening injuries.
Hatzolah Ambulance took two of the injured pedestrians to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla. Rockland Paramedic Services and Spring Hill Ambulance took the others to Nyack and Good Samaritan hospitals.
The accident remains under investigation. The building was closed after numerous wires were left exposed following the crash. Bosworth told LoHud.com that they would investigate the driver’s claim of mechanical failure.
What Should I Do If I Am Injured in a Pedestrian Accident?
Sadly, this accident occurred right after Smart Growth America (an advocacy group on pedestrian and urban design issues) looked at the number of pedestrian deaths and how often people walk in major metropolitan areas.
In its report, the group ranked New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island the most dangerous large metro area when it comes to the percentage of traffic deaths that included pedestrians. The agency reported that 32.5 percent of vehicle accident fatalities in the metro area involved pedestrians from 2003 to 2012, with 3,384 pedestrians killed.
Aside from death, pedestrian accidents can result in catastrophic injuries like head injuries, spinal cord injuries or compound fractures, which often require expensive physical therapy and rehab.
If you lose a loved one or are injured in a pedestrian accident, you should seek damages. For more information, you can also visit our Facebook page, LinkedIn page, Google+ page or our Twitter page. Contact us today.
KGG’s Corner: The number of pedestrian accidents increased six percent nationally between 2011 and 2012.
Kantrowitz, Goldhamer & Graifman, P.C. – Rockland County Injury Lawyers