Brooklyn Man Arrested in Hit-and-Run Accident

On Tuesday, February 3, Kamil Gorski was struck and killed as he attempted to cross Metropolitan Ave. at 62^nd Street in Ridgewood. He was hit by two different vehicles — the first was a Ford van, and the second was a blue four-door sedan. While the sedan remained behind at the scene of the accident, the Ford van fled the area. Later, the driver was found: 53-year-old Raul Reyes of Brooklyn.

Gorski was rushed to Elmhurt Hospital, but succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment. Reyes’s van was found near his home, and he was taken into custody. It was expected that Reyes would be charged with felony hit-and-run, with possible manslaughter charges related to the accident as well.

It is considered a felony to leave the scene of an accident. Even if you are the cause of the accident, you are much better off staying at the scene of the crime than leaving, which only increases the amount of penalties that you could receive in the accident. Now, Reyes’s potential criminal penalties could include significant fines, license revocations and prison time in addition to any potential wrongful death suit that could be filed on behalf of Gorski’s family.

If Gorski’s family would choose to file a wrongful death suit, they would need to prove that Gorski was liable and negligent in the accident. Criminal charges would remove some of the barriers to that proof, as they would indicate his responsibility.

For more information on how to file a personal injury lawsuit after a hit-and-run crash, speak with a knowledgeable New York car accident attorney at [ln::firm_name].