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Road Debris Cause of Horrific Bruckner Expressway Accident that Killed Woman

By Paul Napoli

December 5, 2009

A bouncing spool of wire on the Bruckner Expressway caused a horrific crash in the Bronx on Friday, leaving one woman dead, a postal truck driver hurt, and NBC News's Tom Brokaw and his wife, Meredith, unharmed but saddened.

Tom Brokaw was driving, and his wife a passenger, in a car traveling eastbound in the far left lane of the Bruckner Expressway near Sheridan Avenue around 1 p.m. Friday, when they witnessed a 1998 Ford Expedition swerve to avoid a spool of cable bouncing in the far right lane.

The Expedition, driven by Suejas Estrada of the Bronx, overturned and collided with a USPS postal truck traveling in the middle lane, forcing the postal truck into the far left lane where it careened into Brokaw's vehicle.

Suejas Estrada, 30, was ejected from the Expedition as it flipped over several times, thrown over the expressway railing and fell more than 70 feet onto the train tracks below, NYPD said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Emergency personnel transported the driver of the USPS postal truck, a 54-year-old man, to Westchester Medical Center with bumps and bruises, where he was listed in stable condition Friday night.

The crash tied up traffic for miles. Six Amtrak trains that run along the Northeast Corridor to Boston were out of service for more than an hour after Estrada landed on the tracks, an Amtrak representative said.

Brokaw, 69, and his wife were shaken but unharmed and released the following statement: "As the mail truck careened into the Brokaw lane, Tom hit the brakes hard and skidded along the median. When the mail truck catapulted the median the Brokaw vehicle slid into it. Neither Tom nor Meredith were injured but tragically the driver of the SUV was thrown from her vehicle and killed. Tom and Meredith are greatly saddened by this loss of life."

When drivers on public roadways fail to properly secure cargo such as mattresses, furniture, ladders or other construction equipment, etc., these items may fall into the roadway and create a significant safety hazard. The 2008 Statewide Statistical Summary of Motor Vehicle Accidents released by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles listed 2,060 accidents in New York resulting from obstruction/debris in the roadway. While 1,360 of those accidents only resulted in property damage, 694 accidents caused personal injury and 6 involved fatalities.

If you or loved one has been injured or a loved one killed in an auto accident, Napoli Bern Ripka LLP has the experience and knowledge needed to successfully handle your auto accident case. Contact us at 1-888-529-4669 immediately after an auto accident and we will discuss your situation and come up with a plan of action to help you get the compensation you deserve for your injuries, property damage or a loved one's wrongful death.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Paul Napoli

Full post as published by New York City Personal Injury Lawyer on December 07, 2009 (boomark / email).