Last Sunday morning, nine family members set out in a van from their home in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, on an overnight trip through New York state to Niagara Falls, Canada. While the van was traveling on Route 20 in a westbound direction, a pickup truck reportedly struck the side of it in a T-bone configuration after the driver allegedly ran a stop sign.
The crash reportedly ejected as many as seven family members from the van, claiming the lives of three of them. Of the four children hospitalized in the collision, one four-year-old girl remains in critical condition in the hospital at this time. Her twin sister, since discharged, suffered lacerations and broken bones in the crash. A 10-year-old girl suffered a broken leg, facial fractures and lacerations, while a 14-year-old boy sustained bruises and lacerations.
The pickup driver, a 20-year-old man from Lackawanna, New York, is now in custody, facing charges of driving while intoxicated, reckless driving and aggravated vehicular homicide. Toxicology reports are pending.
The three family members who died in the crash include a 47-year-old woman, as well as her daughter and granddaughter, a cousin to the twin sisters who was also four years old. The pickup driver has a June 10th court date scheduled.
According to authorities, not everyone in the van was wearing a seatbelt when the collision occurred.
Since one of the children remains hospitalized at this time, the family is still in the area of Buffalo, New York awaiting the outcome of her treatment.
It can take years to recover from injuries sustained in a car crash. Some never fully recover. Those suffering injuries as a result of a motor vehicle accident may find it helpful to discuss the case with an attorney.