A drunk driver killed a veteran firefighter from Whitestone, Queens in a Union Township motorcycle accident on October 11. John Monteverde, 56, was heading from Pennsylvania to Queens when 24-year-old Anthony Marsel struck Monteverde’s motorcycle with his Honda Accord after rolling through a stop sign.
According to Union Police Lt. Robert Christie, there was no reason Marsel should not have seen Monteverde’s motorcycle coming down the road. Monteverde was thrown 30 feet in the collision and pronounced dead at the scene. According to police, Marsel’s breath smelled of alcohol at the time of the accident and his eyes were bloodshot. He was charged with second-degree vehicular homicide, driving while intoxicated and other charges related to the accident.
Monteverde was a 31-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department and left behind three adult children.
Authorities reported that the fatal accident occurred only 100 yards from another fatal crash that happnede three weeks prior. Residents in the area told CBS 2 News that accidents are common along the road because there are only stop signs and no traffic lights.
According to the New Jersey Department of Law & Public Safety, between 2003 and 2007 motorcycle registrations increased in the state by 17 percent. During this same time, 377 motorcyclists died on New Jersey roads. In the Garden State, about 2,000 injuries and 70 fatalities occur due to motorcycle accidents every year. As these vehicles become more popular, the risk for injury on the road increases. Motorcycles do not have the same safety features as other motor vehicles, and they are often ignored on the road due to their small size and single headlight at night.
Motor vehicle accidents with motorcycles can result in serious injury or death, and our accident attorneys at the Spevack Law Firm are dedicated to getting the compensation victims of these accidents deserve. Our New Jersey trial lawyers have been fighting for victims of New Jersey accidents since 1928 and provide efficient and personalized legal representation. Contact our Middlesex County injury attorneys today if you have been hurt by a negligent driver, or call us at (732) 636-3030.
Spevack’s Did You Know: According to the New Jersey Department of Law & Public Safety, more than half of all motorcycle accidents occur at intersections.
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