DUI Hit-and-Run
SUFFOLK COUNTY, NEW YORK – As reported in an online news article published by longisland.com, a Medford woman was arrested after being involved in a hit-and-run accident that led to charges of driving while intoxicated and having a child under 15 in the vehicle while intoxicated (Leandra’s Law).
A 43-year-old Medford woman was arrested for her role in allegedly causing a daytime hit-and-run accident in East Northport. The Medford woman was driving her 2007 GMC Yukon southbound on Daly Road when she sideswiped a 2013 Mercedes Sprinter van near the intersection of Phyllis Drive. The woman’s 11-year-old son was a passenger to the vehicle at the time of the accident. There are no reported injuries.
The Medford woman fled the scene of the accident but was later pulled over on Daly Road near Jericho Turnpike. She was arrested, taken into custody, and charged with (1) driving while intoxicated (DWI), (2) aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child passenger 15 years or younger (Leandra’s Law), (3) endangering the welfare of a child, and (4) leaving the scene of an accident. The Medford woman was arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip.
Understanding Leandra’s Law in New York
Leandra’s Law, also known as the Child Passenger Protection Act (“Act”), is a set of New York laws enacted in October 2009 that seek to hold drivers accountable for operating a vehicle while intoxicated when a child passenger 15 years of age or younger is present in the vehicle. A first-time offense is considered a felony.
The laws were proposed after an 11-year-old girl named Leandra was killed in an accident involving a drunk driver in September 2009. Leandra was a passenger in an SUV driven by a friend’s mother. The SUV was allegedly traveling at 68 miles per hour in a 50 mile per hour zone shortly before the SUV rolled over, killing Leandra and injuring 6 other children. Leandra’s father pushed for the new laws following Leandra’s death.
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