Two NYC Residents Killed by Drunk Driver in Clifton Park

A drunk driver from Cohoes killed two New York City residents and seriously injured two others when he plowed into their car while they were stopped for a traffic light.

The car accident occurred at the intersection of Route 9 and Usher Road in Clifton Park, NY. Police have charged the 58-year old driver with driving while intoxicated as well as aggravated vehicular homicide and two counts of vehicular manslaughter. The driver is being held without bail despite his attorney’s description of his service in the U.S. Army, including seven deployments and being awarded a Bronze Star.

Aggravated vehicular homicide carries a potential sentence of up to 25 years in prison. This severe charge comes from the charge of drunk driving resulting in more than one death.

Drunk Driving Continues To Take a Toll on New York Roads

In 2017, 295 people were killed in our state in accidents that involved a driver who was intoxicated, with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or more. This total represents 30% of the total accident fatalities – almost one-in-three was killed by a drunk driver. Although this result seems better than that of our neighbor Connecticut, where 43% of traffic fatalities were caused by drunk drivers, the number is far too high – especially because these deaths are preventable. (statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA)

New York State Assembly Wants To Lower the Threshold for Drunk Driving Arrests

Our State Assembly has proposed a bill that would lower the legal BAC from 0.08 to 0.05 for driving under the influence of alcohol. The bill also contains language that would lower the limit for aggravated driving while intoxicated from 0.18 to 0.12.

Currently under consideration in the New York Senate Transportation Committee, the legislation, if approved, would make New York the second state along with Utah to lower the drunk driving BAC level to 0.05.

The National Transportation Safety Board urges all states to adopt this standard to reduce crashes and save lives.

Please Call Us for a Free Consultation If You Have Been Injured in an Accident

If you or a family member has been harmed by a defective product, car accident, truck accident, construction accident, slip and fall or any other type of personal injury, please contact StolzenbergCortelli, LLC Attorneys at Law immediately. Please call us for a free consultation at our locations in New York County, Rockland County and Westchester County. Attorneys Howard Stolzenberg and Terrence James Cortelli, personal injury attorneys in White Plains, Nyack and New York City, will fight to secure justice for you and your family. You can reach us at (914) 361 – 4888 or contact us via the website.