BRENTWOOD, Long Island, N.Y. — A young girl reported to only be four-years-old died in a pedestrian accident that Suffolk police say was caused by an impaired teenage driver. The deadly collision happened around 6:50 p.m., according to a report published in the Daily Voice. The Suffolk County detectives investigating the crash provided a preliminary report. The detectives said that the 19-year-old male from Brentwood, who was driving his 2018 Honda Civic on Fulton Street, ran the child over as she played in front of her home. First responders and doctors at Southside Hospital located in Bay Shore tried in vain to save the critically injured child. Suffolk County police immediately arrested the male and charged him with driving while impaired by drugs. Police also impounded his car.
Suffolk Police accident detectives have asked the public to provide them with all information they have to help them complete their investigation. The police have not reported the type of drug they suspect that impaired the motorist.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, indicates that alcohol, along with illicit and prescription drugs impair a person’s ability to drive safely. Even over-the-counter medication, according to the NHTSA, could make a driver drowsy and slow reaction times. Consuming alcohol while taking any drug will enhance the drug’s effects.
The NHTSA reported that marijuana and alcohol, along with other narcotics like heroin, impair the motorist’s ability to drive by slowing the driver’s reaction times and impeding coordination. The substances also impair the person’s judgment as well.
Other drugs such as cocaine or methamphetamines speed everything up for a driver. A person driving under the influence of cocaine or meth could begin hyper-aggressive and reckless. A driver operating after consuming one or more of these drugs could experience a road rage episode or drive aggressively rather than defensively. Moreover, a person who has taken any drug or alcohol is in the worst position to assess his or her ability to drive a car.
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