FOREST HILLS, NY- According to Queenseagle.com, a man from Glendale was arrested on Monday for fleeing the scene of a pedestrian crash that killed a man from Tribeca. The driver, Irving Duran, 28, was traveling on Continental Avenue at about 5:30 in the afternoon on Sunday. November 11, 2018, when he struck a pedestrian. The […]
FOREST HILLS, NY- According to Queenseagle.com, a man from Glendale was arrested on Monday for fleeing the scene of a pedestrian crash that killed a man from Tribeca. The driver, Irving Duran, 28, was traveling on Continental Avenue at about 5:30 in the afternoon on Sunday. November 11, 2018, when he struck a pedestrian.
The victim was identified as 29-year-old Niklas Ahern of Tribeca. Ahern was crossing Continental Avenue when he was hit. Duran fled the scene, according to the police.
Ahern was unresponsive when emergency responders arrived at the scene of the crash. He was transported to the Long Island Jewish Forest Hills Hospital and declared dead as a result of severe bodily and head trauma.
Duran was arrested and charged with “leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.” If he is convicted, Duran could face seven years in prison.
Hit-and-run crashes have been rising in the United States. Even in deadly hit-and-run crashes, the perpetrator is often never apprehended. This is especially true in crashes involving pedestrians because in many cases there are no witnesses.
Drivers who flee the scene of vehicle accidents often do so because they are under the influence of alcohol or they are driving without a valid license. In these situations, drivers may panic because they are aware of the increased penalties they will be facing if caught. In some places, the punishment for fleeing the scene of a crash is not as high as for causing a crash while under the influence of alcohol. These drivers may actually benefit from fleeing because even if they are caught, they will have time to sober up. Many states have increased their penalties for fleeing the scene as a response to this perverse incentive.