News: LI Bus Crashes Into McDonald’s
(Long Island, N.Y.) An accident occurred at roughly nine-thirty Sunday night on Hempstead Turnpike in Uniondale. A forty-two-year-old man from Hempstead was driving eastbound on Hempstead Turnpike in a 2003 Ford Econoline van. A later investigation revealed that he had been driving intoxicated while his license had been suspended.
According to reports, the drunk driver slammed into three vehicles along the roadway, one of which was an MTA bus. The driver of the bus is a fifty-one-year-old man, and reports stated that there were no passengers at the time of the incident. Sources claimed that the other two vehicles were a Mercury and Mazda.
The driver of the 2004 Mercury was a twenty-seven-year-old and the Mazda was a make from 2011. The impact from the accident caused the MTA bus to crash into a nearby McDonald’s. Reports stated that the McDonald’s is located on a corner and that no one was hurt while inside the restaurant.
The drunk driver sustained injuries and was hospitalized along with the other drivers. One of them suffered from facial and knee injuries; another suffered from unknown injuries. The driver allegedly was hospitalized for a head injury, and all were taken for medical treatment after emergency responders arrived at the scene of the accident.
The drunk driver was charged with driving while intoxicated. Reports stated that the MTA bus crashed into the McDonald’s sidewalk and caused extensive damage. Photographs were taken showing wreckage, affected parts of the restaurant, and the multiple vehicles involved in the crash.
The man was also charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Reports stated that he had been driving with a suspended registration and will be charged for driving an uninsured motor vehicle. Many followers of the case have felt that he received too much leniency from initial responders.
It is uncertain whether the man had a lawyer at the time of the incident, but it is expected that he will be arraigned in the near future. He was arrested shortly after police and authorities on the case were notified of the horrific crash. It was determined that he had been drinking prior to the accident once further investigation was conducted.
This incident is one of many to occur on Long Island roadways that involve drunk drivers with suspended licenses. Some Long Island residents feel that stricter laws should be enforced and serve as a measure to prevent drivers from getting behind the wheel under such circumstances.
