Fatal Traffic Accidents

Maryland Auto Injury News: Baltimore Co. Police Identify Pedestrian Killed in Pulaski Highway Accident

February 16, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

We’ve stated it here before: Pedestrians hardly ever do well against a motor vehicle during a traffic accident. As motorists we all have a duty to watch out for persons on foot, but as pedestrians we must also be highly vigilant and aware of oncoming traffic. Even if you cross in a legal zone, such as a crosswalk, be sure all cars are stopped and it is safe. Being “dead” right will not make your family feel better after a fatal pedestrian collision.

Recently a news article indicated that the Baltimore County Police had finally realeased the identity of the man killed in a fatal pedestrian accident on Pulaski Highway. According to reports, police stated that the Middle River man who died was 40-year-old James Rayman, of the 9600 block of Pulaski Highway.

Police believe that the victim ran across the eastbound lanes of Pulaski Highway near the Colonial Motel just east of Middle River, then climbed over a nearly 4-foot tall concrete barrier separating the east- and westbound lanes. Police said Rayman then entered the fast lane and it was there that he was hit by a late-model Ford F-350 pickup truck.

Maryland Auto Accident News: Fatal Car Crash and Two Multiple Injury Accidents in Baltimore County

February 7, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Three separate automobile accidents on a Monday morning resulted in one death and four people injured in Baltimore County recently. Maryland State Police responded to the accidents which included a fatal Pikeville side-swipe hit-and-run collision that killed a man on Interstate 695; the two other accidents, one on U.S. 40 and another in Garrison, MD, sent four people to area hospitals.

The hit-and-run crash happened shortly after 29-year-old Richardo Manchome of Pikesville pulled his Ford Pickup onto the should of the Beltway to check on an engine problem. According to police reports, the man was standing on the driver’s side of the vehicle while examining his truck’s engine when he was struck by another vehicle.

Apparently a car veered onto the shoulder where Manchome was standing, striking and throwing the man about 50 feet from his truck. When emergency crews arrived, the victim was declared dead at the scene.

Baltimore Car Accident News: Maryland Man Gets Nine Years for Fatal Drunk-driving Accident

February 2, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Every year, hundreds of people are killed in traffic accidents across the country. Many of these automobile accidents are caused by motorists who drink and drive. Here in Maryland, it’s not uncommon to see news stories about drunk drivers who cause serious as well as fatal injuries to occupants of other vehicles due to driving under the influence of alcohol. As a personal injury lawyer in the Baltimore area, I have seen the aftermath of these kinds of alcohol-related wrecks.

It make no difference whether you drive a passenger car, pickup truck, sport utility vehicle (SUV) or minivan, a serious collision can turn your life upside down. If you are a breadwinner for your family, being injured in a car crash will impact your household income due to lost wages as well as medical costs during recovery. A fatal crash can have devastating affect on families in Annapolis, Owings Mills, the District, and other communities around the state.

Not long ago, a Maryland resident was sentenced to nine years in jail for the fatal drunk driving death of an area mom. According to the news, the crash that killed 28-year-old Cristina L. Palese occurred on March 21, 2009, during the victim’s drive home from work at the Cadillac Ranch restaurant at National Harbor, MD.

Man Gets Six Months for Fatal DWI Traffic Accident that Killed Maryland High School Student

January 19, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The year just past was marred by hundreds of traffic accidents throughout Maryland, some of which resulted in fatalities. One of the saddest was the death of a Stephen Decatur High School sophomore who was hit by a car as he and some friends tried to cross Route 50 near Ocean City. As a Baltimore personal injury and auto accident lawyer, my office understands the terrible grief that friends, families and communities feel at the loss of any youngster.

Unfortunately, traffic accidents involving pedestrians are often fatal and almost always severe. As drivers, we all must be especially vigilant when approaching people walking along the roadside or crossing the street. Cars, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) are much more massive and quicker than a person on foot. Therefore additional caution should always be exercised whenever pedestrians are nearby.

According to news articles, the driver who hit the boy last year in May had a 0.10 percent blood-alcohol content at the time of the accident. Other than the drunken driving offense police had not issued any other charges in connection with the fatal crash. The man recently received six months in jail from a Worchester County court for his part in the accident.

Baltimore Auto Accident News: Single-car Washington County Car Crash Kills Maryland Teacher

January 16, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Everyday, families in and around Maryland lose loved ones who have made a difference in the lives of people throughout their community. Unfortunately, a traffic accident can suddenly and tragically put an end to anyone’s life in an instant. The emotional scars that losing a mother, daughter, friend or colleague can last for years, if not forever. As an injury lawyer practicing in the Baltimore area, I help families of victims recover damages from negligent parties who cause fatal car, truck or SUV crashes.

Sadly, any monetary damages can only alleviate the pain of loss. Nothing can bring a person back who has been killed by a careless motorist, drunk driver or deficient product safety. Recently, I was reminded of the senseless randomness of traffic accidents. According to a news article, Alisha Mae Deneen, young teacher from Washington County died in a single-car accident on I-81 at the railroad crossing north of Maugansville Road.

According to the State Police, the accident happened sometime prior to 5:30pm on New Year’s Day after a passer-by noticed the woman’s vehicle on the railroad tracks. Reports indicate that the 31-year-old Deneen was driving a 2009 Infiniti G37x, which apparently crossed the median, overturned and fell on to the tracks below. The exact time of the accident had not been determined at the time of the news article. Emergency personnel found the driver dead at the scene.

Baltimore County, Maryland, Man Killed in Fatal Parkton Single-vehicle Crash

January 7, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Product liability suits arise out of faulty or poorly designed parts or components. In the case of automobile accidents, defective vehicle equipment, such as tires, steering system parts, brakes or air bags can either result in injury or death, or exacerbate the effects of a car or truck crash. As Maryland auto injury attorneys, my firm understands that car and truck collisions happen for all kinds of reasons including defective equipment.

A defective automobile part or component can cause a driver to lose control of his or her vehicle resulting in a possible traffic accident and personal injury. Depending on what system or safety equipment failed, the resulting wreck can cause injuries from cuts and bruises to serious internal bleeding, damaged organs and even fatal brain or spinal trauma.

According to reports, a 36-year-old Baltimore County resident lost his life when his truck went out of control, slid down an embankment on Mount Carmel Road and crashed. According to police, Richard Winkler III, of the 3200 block of Mount Carmel Road, was driving his 1990 Chevy pickup in the westbound lane near Masemore Road in Parkton just after 11pm when the truck crossed the center line, overturned and rolled down an embankment.

Suspect Identified in Deadly Annapolis, MD, Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Accident on Bay Ridge Road

January 6, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to a recent news report, the Anne Arundel County Police Department has identified the person suspected of the fatal hit-and-run accident that killed an Annapolis resident in late December as he was walking on the roadside. As a Maryland automobile accident attorney, my office is ready and able to represent families who have suffered tragic loses similar to the one in this case.

According to police, the fatal pedestrian accident happened in the early morning on New Year ’s Day on Bay Ridge Road in Annapolis, MD. Sometime around 2am on Friday morning, 40-year-old Alfred Byrd was hit by an east-bound motor vehicle, killing the man as he walked along the road.

Police believe that Byrd, who was wearing dark clothing at the time of the accident, was either crossing the street or walking within the right travel lane when he was struck. By the time emergency personnel arrived at the scene, the man had already died from his injuries.

Hollywood, MD, Man Charged with Vehicular Manslaughter in Drunk Driving Traffic Death

January 4, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Families of victims killed in fatal traffic accidents have a hard enough time without having the death be related to drunk driving. In Baltimore, the District, Annapolis or anywhere else in Maryland, drivers and passengers alike are killed every day in senseless car, truck and SUV crashes. Recently, the person whose actions may have resulted in the death last summer of a Tall Timbers, MD, motorist has been charged with vehicular homicide.

According to news reports, a 31-year-old Hollywood, Maryland, resident was indicted on charges of manslaughter by vehicle, drunk driving and reckless driving by a St. Mary’s grand jury. The incident occurred around midnight on July 25 on Route 249. The head-on collision allegedly caused by George Michael Bowes, Jr. resulted in the death of Russell Edward Wenzel, 58, and the serious injury of his wife.

Bowes was released recently on $100,000 bond after he was served the same day with an arrest warrant and the indictment from the two-vehicle collision last July.

Snow Storm Causes Numerous Traffic Accidents, Injuries in Maryland and Along East Coast

December 31, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As a Maryland car and truck accident attorney, I interact every day with persons injured in automobile accidents. Many of these traffic collisions are caused by operator error, driver inattention or distraction. Occassionally, poor road or weather conditions can result in single- or multi-car accidents. The latest snow storm that we all experienced made driving more than inconvenient for many Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. residents — at least one person died as a result of this storm.

Since bad weather almost always results in poor road and driving conditions, I always suggest to friend and family that they avoid going out in storms like the one we just had. Getting into a car or truck wreck because of slippery streets is always a possibility, which is something that happened to dozens of motorists this past week.

According to news articles, the winter storm that socked the East Coast stranded many motorists and caused numerous fender-bender crashes. Near blizzard conditions reportedly hit many residents of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states, slowing and even stopping travel throughout the region.

Elderly Mechanicsville Pedestrian Struck and Killed by Minivan Driver on Maryland Route 235

December 20, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Walking is certainly a healthy and invigorating pastime; however nobody expects that your next evening constitutional will be your last. Naturally, pedestrians must be vigilant when strolling along public roads, but drivers also have a responsibility not to place others in danger. As Maryland injury lawyers representing automobile accident victims and their families, our office is greatly aware of the tragic results of pedestrian traffic accidents.

Recently, a news article detailed the traffic death of an older Mechanicsville man who was killed during an evening walk along a local highway. Apparently an elderly gentleman who was know to frequently go out on foot for long walks died on November 30 after being hit by a northbound vehicle along Maryland’s Route 235.

Police reports indicate that 85-year-old James Thomas Yorkshire was treated by fire and rescue crews, who responded to the accident that had occurred just before 9pm. At the time of the news report it was unclear whether Yorkshire, who died at the scene, was walking in the northbound lanes or perhaps crossing the highway.