January 11, 2011 – Brooklyn, NY – According to a report from myfoxny.com, an off-duty New York City firefighter has been charged with killing a pedestrian and texting while driving. This pedestrian accident took place in Brooklyn on October 10 at approximately 12:30 a.m. Pat Quagliarello, 39, appeared in court on Tuesday, December 21, where his lawyer attempted to divert attention to the fact that the firefighter had worked a long day when he fatally struck Manuel Tzaiguachiac, 25, back in October. Not only has the firefighter been charged with texting while driving but he was also charged with fleeing the scene of the accident, leaving Tzaiguachiac at the intersection.
Four hours later, Quagliarello went to the police station but even then he denied being the one to strike Tzaiguachiac. Instead, he told police that it was his SUV that had been involved in an accident. Quagliarello is facing numerous charges including texting while driving, hit and run, reckless driving and negligent homicide. He has pled not guilty and was released from police custody on a $50,000 bail.
According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2009, there were 1,156 fatalities as a result of traffic accidents in the state of New York. To help raise awareness of traffic safety in the New York area, our firm will frequently publish blogs about traffic accidents that occur throughout the 5 boroughs and beyond. We do this to raise awareness about the common types of motor vehicle accidents that occur in New York that may result in serious injury or traffic fatalities.
The most common types of traffic accidents in New York include:
- accidents caused by hazardous road conditions;
- single-vehicle crashes;
- rollover accidents; and
- “distracted driver” accidents or crashes caused by intoxicated drivers.
If you have been named in this blog or you are the victim’s family member or friend and would like the blog posting removed from our website, please feel free to contact us and we will promptly accommodate your request.
