Unlicensed Driver High on PCP Crashes into TLC Car, Leaving Passenger Paralyzed
Passenger paralyzed after F-150 goes against traffic early Saturday morning in Brooklyn. Potential lack of active insurance policy may complicate claims that passengers or TLC driver can make
AutoMarketplace NYC Newsletter is written by Dawood Mian, Founder of AutoMarketplace (launching soon). He covers the NYC for-hire transportation industry and related news.
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(Story from the NY Daily News) An unlicensed wrong-way driver was allegedly high on PCP when he crashed into a TLC car transporting passengers in Brooklyn early Saturday morning. The crash left a 28 year old passenger in the backseat of the TLC-plated Hyundai Elantra paralyzed from the chest down. The 39 year old TLC driver and the other passenger, a 27 year old friend, were taken to Elmhurst Hospital with minor injuries.
The victim is “mentally stable and she’s a fighter and she’s going to get through this,” her mother, who asked that her daughter not be named, told the Daily News. “We are hopeful.”
Virgilio Rodriguez, 48, was driving his Ford F-150 truck against traffic on Bushwick Place in East Williamsburg when he T-boned a Hyundai Elantra at the intersection with Johnson Ave. at about 12:45 a.m. Saturday. The impact sent both vehicles onto the sidewalk and into the side of a building. Rodriguez briefly fled the scene but returned and was arrested, according to the NYPD.
The driver of the F-150 had “watery eyes, slurred speech, dilated pupils, incoherent speech and an unsteady gait,” according to the criminal complaint against him.
Rodriguez’s driver’s license had been suspended for failure to respond to a traffic summons, according to the complaint. He was arrested in Long Island on July 22 for driving under the influence of drugs, the complaint also states. The driver now faces multiple charges including driving under the influence, driving without a license, criminal possession of a controlled substance, reckless endangerment and three counts of assault. He was ordered held on $200,000 bond when he was arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court Saturday.
Uber spokeswoman Carly DeBeikes said the company is working with law enforcement to investigate the crash. “Our thoughts are with those impacted by this horrible incident and we wish the victims a speedy recovery,” DeBeikes said.
The Ford F-150 driven by Rodriguez had North Carolina plates with no record of speeding, red-light or parking tickets in the city’s traffic violation database. It was not clear who owns the truck.
AutoMarketplace Thoughts
Firstly, while no one died in the crash, being paralyzed for the rest of your life is obviously a life changing event for the young woman who was simply a passenger in the back of an Uber, something hundreds of thousands of people are daily in NYC without much thought. Fortunately, the TLC driver and other passenger seemed to escape the incident with relatively minor injuries. It’s obviously upsetting that the driver of the the truck, which caused the accident, was arrested a few months ago and was allegedly high on drugs as well at the time of the crash.
Another thought I had was given Rodriguez (F-150 driver) was driving a North Carolina-plated truck and had a suspended license, it begs the question if he had an active insurance policy? This makes an already complex situation even trickier for all parties involved. From the passengers to the TLC driver, who may also not have separate physical damage coverage to repair his vehicle. For example, if Rodriguez (driver of the F-150) didn’t have insurance (most likely the case), any insurance claims could be made more complicated. The image below shows the typical coverage of a TLC liability-only policy. As you can see the uninsured motorist coverage is $25,000 per person and $50,000 each accident. I don’t want to speculate on the specifics, but it’s something to keep in mind for this story.
It’s a sad and upsetting story to report on, but one that brings to light how life can change unexpectedly, in an instance.
Do you think anything could have been done to lower the probability of such an accident occurring? Given NYC TLC drivers pay their own insurance, raising uninsured motorist limits could make insurance prohibitively expense, should Uber / Lyft provide additional coverage? If they did, is that something you would pay for?
AutoMarketplace NYC Newsletter is written by Dawood Mian, Founder of AutoMarketplace (launching soon). He covers the NYC for-hire transportation industry and related news.
Check out AutoMarketplace on YouTube ▶️