Saturday afternoon, a double decker bus crashed into a railroad overpass in Salina, New York on its way from Philadelphia to Toronto.  The bus driver apparently missed a turn and did not see the lights on the overpass warning vehicles that would be too tall to fit under.

The accident occurred around 2:30 PM at an overpass over the Onondaga Parkway.  Police officers reported that the driver, 59-year old Jon Tomaszewski, was supposed to exit at Interstate 81 for a scheduled stop in Syracuse but accidentally ended up on the parkway.  The overpass’s clearance is 10 feet 9 inches high, however the bus stood at 13 feet tall.

Four people were killed in the accident and twenty others had to be treated for various injuries.  The people killed in the accident included were from New York, Pennsylvania, India, and Malaysia.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and families of those lost in this tragic bus accident.

The state of New York and states across the country have chosen to participate in an 18-day nationwide campaign to prevent drunk driving.  ”Over the Limit- Under Arrest” began on August 20th and will last until Labor Day, September 6th.  The campaign will require anyone convicted of a misdemeanor or felony drunk driving charge, even first-time offenders, to install an ignition interlock device in their vehicle at their own expense.

In 2008, there were over 9,000 accidents in the state involving alcohol and almost 400 fatalities in alcohol-related accidents.  Executive Director of  the New York State Sheriff’s Association, John F. Sullivan, stated, “Impaired driving continues to be a problem that negatively affects each and every one of us…Our deputies will be aggressively looking for all impaired drivers; make no mistake, if you are driving under the influence you will be arrested-no exceptions”.

Campaign officials hope that the campaign will help keep the roads safe and the Labor Day holiday enjoyable for all New Yorkers.

If you or someone you love has been injured in an alcohol-related car accident, contact the Queens car accident lawyers of Parker Waichman Alonso LLP at 1-888-244-2273 to learn more about your rights.

30-year old Dave Richards of the Bronx caused the fiery two-car accident on the Long Island Expressway on July 5th that killed 64-year old shuttle bus driver and grandfather John Rey.  At his bedside arraignment at the New York Hospital Queens it was revealed that Richards had been driving west in the eastbound lanes of the expressway for two miles before hitting Rey’s shuttle bus.

Officials involved in Richard’s prosecution say that he had a blood alcohol content of .19 after the accident- more than twice the legal limit.  Tests also revealed he had marijuana in his system.

Richard plead not guilty to charges of assault and homicide arguing that he was lost and did not know where he was.  He will return to court in September.

Yesterday early evening, a five-car accident occurred on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.  The accident was reported to have happened just before 5 PM in the eastbound lanes headed towards Brooklyn on the lower level of the bridge.

The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge connects the Staten Island and Brooklyn boroughs.  It is a double decker suspension bridge.

Traffic was slowed on the bridge for about forty-five minutes after the accident.  No details were released about what caused the accident, but fortunately no serious injuries were reported.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident, contact the Queens car accident attorneys of Parker Waichman Alonso LLP at 1-888-244-2273 to learn more about your rights.