June 20, 2012 Following the acquittal of a high-profile New York doctor being acquitted on charges of fleeing the scene of a Buffalo car accident that killed a young girl, a proposed law honoring the girl by aiming to prevent similar accidents was moved forward by the New York State Senate. According to a story published by WGRZ 2 News, Alix’s Law would make it illegal for a driver to leave the scene of an accident following any kind of collision. As current law stands, a driver is only required to report an accident once they have reason to believe that property was damaged or an injury occurred. On July 8, 2011, the doctor claimed that he was driving home from a private event, after admittedly drinking prior to leaving and text messaging once behind the wheel, when he struck and killed the young woman. He claimed that he did not realize he struck her until hours later. The bill’s sponsor, Senator Patrick Gallivan, stated, “Intoxicated drivers are arguably the most likely to flee the scene of an accident to avoid being caught driving under the influence, and due to their intoxication and diminished awareness, they are also the least likely to know if they have struck an object or person.” The Car Accident Attorneys with the William Mattar Law Offices say they are hopeful to see this law passed and put into effect following approval from the General Assembly later this year.
New York State Senate Approves Alix’s Law