Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP - 829 Foxon Road East Haven, CT 06513

A Good Driver Needs Many Skills

What is needed in a good driver? Well anticipation is one of the most important things, thinking what might happen around you, as well as concentration of course, focusing on your driving and nothing else.

Another thing which is very important is that you need to have skill to be a good driver and this comes over time and with a lot of practice. Some drivers never develop the skills needed to be a very good driver, you probably could name some.

You also need to have the right attitude. Your aim is to stay calm and tolerant in all situations and those who cannot do that will never become good drivers.

And finally you need the knowledge. You should know the Highway Code, and although you may have learned it to pass your driving test that could have been a long time ago so it is worth picking up a new copy to check you know it.

If you have been injured in a serious vehicle accident involving an automobile and a pedestrian, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help.

Pregnant Woman in Fatal Crash

On Wednesday a woman was driving her pregnant friend to the hospital when a crash occurred at exit 46 on the I-95 in New Haven. The car was sandwiched between two trucks.

According to police say their car was hit by a tractor-trailer and then pushed into the back of another big rig. Fifty three year old Gwendolyn Buskie was driving Vera Mercer to hospital to have a c-section.

Gwendolyn Buskie was killed in the crash and Mercer who was in the passenger seat, was seriously injured.

Mercer was rushed to Yale-New Haven hospital where 7 pound four ounce Cameran Faith was delivered by an emergency c-section. Mercer remains in a coma in serious condition but the baby is healthy.

According to police the accident remains under investigation and so far no charges have been filed.

If you have been injured in a serious vehicle accident involving an automobile and a pedestrian, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help.

Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Causing Crash

On Friday, a Rhode Island man was sentenced to 14 years in prison for causing a crash in December 2012, on I-95 in Old Lyme that claimed the lives of three women.

According to police, Frank Sundstrom, 52, of Warwick, was drunk and driving the wrong way on I-95 when he crashed into another car carrying the three women. He was charged with three counts of second-degree manslaughter, as well as driving under the influence and driving the wrong way on a divided highway. His full sentence is 30 years in prison, suspended after 14, followed by five years of probation.

The crash happened on Dec. 11, 2012 near Exit 70 about 9 p.m. According to State police, Sundstrom was driving north in the southbound lanes of the highway when his 2000 Oldsmobile Alero crashed into a 2007 Nissan Maxima.

The women in the Nissan — Tamara Nolin, 71, of Branford, Marjorie Minore, 90, of North Haven, and Barbara Prato, 63, of East Haven — all died.

After the crash, Sundstrom was flown to the Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven with serious injuries, and stated he had no recollection of the accident or driving into Connecticut from his Rhode Island home.

If you have been injured in a serious vehicle accident involving an automobile and a pedestrian, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help.

Why People Don’t Wear Seat Belts

There are many reasons why people say they do not wear seat belts.

One of the most common is that they do not need them as the car has airbags

The reality is that yes air bags do provide extra protection in a front on crash but if not wearing a seat belt the driver or front seat passenger can slide under them. In addition, air bags will not help in side or rear impact or rollover crashes.

Another reason given for not wearing seat belts is that people do not want to be trapped in a burning car or underwater. However, crashes involving fire or water happen in only half a percent of all crashes. And, when they do occur, the best chance of survival is if you are conscious and uninjured which may not be the case if you did not have your seatbelt on when the accident occurred.

Some think that it is safer to be thrown clear in a crash than to remain inside the vehicle but that is almost impossible as when you’re thrown out of the vehicle it may be  through the windshield, along the road, or even crushed by your own vehicle or another one. Your best place to be in a crash is inside the vehicle, securely held by your seat belt.

Please always remember to buckle up while in a moving automobile. If you have been injured in a serious vehicle accident involving an automobile and a pedestrian, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help.

Pedestrian Fatalities Vary Widely by State

American pedestrians take their lives in their hands when they walk alongside roads with 4,743 killed in 2012, nearly a 10% increase over 2010.

Data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that 1.51 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents for every 100,000 U.S. residents in 2012. However pedestrians in some states are more at risk than others with Delaware leading the nation with nearly three pedestrian fatalities for every 100,000 residents and South Dakota the safest state with only 0.24 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people, the lowest rate nationwide.

According to Robert Archuleta, director of the Traffic Safety Division of the New Mexico Department of Transportation, many different factors put pedestrians at greater risk, ranging from the correct infrastructure for safe walking down to the individual action of the pedestrian or the driver. He went on to say that engineering decisions such as overpasses, safe routes for pedestrians and the action of law enforcement to control speeding drivers or impaired driving can all help to prevent pedestrian fatalities.

If you have been injured in a serious vehicle accident involving an automobile and a pedestrian, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help.

Police Officer Injured while Responding to Emergency

Richard Kenny, a Traffic Division police officer, who was responding by motorcycle to an emergency call, escaped serious injury Friday after he was hit by another vehicle.

According to police, Kenny was headed east on Main Street in Branford at noon, with his lights and siren, when a car turned left in front of him. He impacted with the vehicle and skidded across the pavement onto a lawn.

The driver of the vehicle was 69 year old Cheryl Dombrowski, of Applewood Road. She was cited for failure to grant the right of way from a private driveway and disobeying the signal of an officer.

Chief Kevin Halloran said that Officer Kenny was able to carry out evasive maneuvering and enter a controlled slide due to his extensive motorcycle training by the Connecticut State Police. That, together with years of experience as a motorcycle officer helped him to avoid serious injury.

He went on to say that he was very fortunate not to be seriously injured.

Brandford Fire Department paramedics provided treatment at the scene, and then Kenney was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital for further evaluation and treatment.

If you have been injured in a serious vehicle accident involving negligence, or an automobile with defective parts, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help.

Request for Information Following Deadly Crash

Following a deadly motorcycle accident that occurred Friday night, East Haven police have mounted an investigation and asked anyone with information to contact them.

According to police, two motorcycles were driving westbound on Foxon Rd. and collided with a vehicle that was traveling eastbound on the same road. The accident happened near the North Branford town line at around 8 p.m. and the police also believe another car might have been involved.

The driver of one of the motorcycles, Carlos Dejesus, aged 29, was pronounced dead at the scene and the other motorcyclist, Michael Gatavaski, 29, sustained serious injuries and was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital along with the driver of the vehicle, a 17-year-old male, who also sustained injuries.

Route 80 was closed for most of Friday night while police continued their investigation.

If you have been injured in a serious vehicle accident involving negligence, or an automobile with defective parts, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help

Accident Leaves Motorcyclist Dead

Following a major accident on Friday evening, Route 80 in East Haven, also known as Foxon Boulevard, was closed in both directions at Route 100 (River Road).

According to East Haven Police, the road remained closed for four hours whilst a team of accident reconstruction professionals investigated the scene.

The Police said the crash was reported at about 7:45 p.m. and that it involved two motorcyclists and a SUV.

Witnesses describing the accident said that it appeared that the motorcyclists were driving extremely fast. The SUV slowed right down and tried to avoid them but to no avail. The two motorcycles then collided with the car near a curve and both of the riders were thrown off their motorcycles. One was pronounced dead at the scene and the other was seriously injured and taken to an area hospital.

If you have been injured in a serious vehicle accident involving negligence, or an automobile with defective parts, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help.

Never Leave a Child Alone in a Locked Car

So far this year, 15 children around the country have died after being left in a car during hot weather. In all of  2013 the total was 44.

According to the Connecticut State Police, their investigations will determine what charge the person who left the child in the car will face on a case by case basis.

Should the child be left unsupervised inside the vehicle but their health is not at risk, the charge is likely to be misdemeanor. This was the case of the East Haven mom who was arrested for leaving her infant child and a toddler in a Target parking lot, and a Shelton mom who was also arrested for leaving her young three year old in the parking lot at Trader Joe. Both events happened this month.

However if the child then needs medical attention, the charge increase to risk of injury to a minor, and should the child die, the charge becomes one of murder.

Children should never be left in a locked car, nor should they have access to a vehicle or its trunk, especially when the weather is hot.

Drivers should keep their vehicles locked and never let children play inside them, and they should always check the vehicle before locking it and leaving it, in case a child is hiding.

Teens die due to driving while drugged driving

Drugged Driving

Teens die due to driving while drugged

More and more teens are losing their lives due to driving under the influence of marijuana. This is the stark fact which has been revealed by Columbia University. Researchers have uncovered that the number of fatal car accidents where the driver was high, due to having smoked marijuana, has actually tripled over the last ten years.

What is more, according to a survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one in eight High school seniors actually admitted that they had gotten behind the wheel of a car having just smoked marijuana. The survey also showed in those fatal car crashes where the driver was drugged, in one in four incidents the driver was under the age of 25.

As more and more states look to be moving towards legalizing marijuana, more and more parents and grandparents are becoming increasingly concerned. Legalization may bring with it easier access to marijuana which could in turn lead to more incidents involving drugged driving and more unnecessary deaths among young people.

If you have been injured in a serious vehicle accident involving a drugged driver, or an automobile with defective parts, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help.