NY county on hook for millions for dangerous intersection after horrific crash
An upstate New York county is on the hook for millions of dollars after a near-deadly crash unfolded in a dangerous intersection that was ignored for more than a decade.
A jury in Dutchess County awarded Easton Gregory $14.5 million last week in connection with a horrific car crash in Red Hook back in 2018, according to the law firm.
Gregory was riding in the backseat on the night of June 25 when a 17-year-old driver blew through a stop sign at Rockefeller Lane and Rt. 79 and smashed into the car carrying Gregory, the firm said in a press release.
The man, who was 23 years old at the time, suffered 12 fractured ribs, punctured lungs and lost his thumb in the crash. He was wearing his seatbelt during the crash.
The county was alerted to the dangerousness of the intersection back in 2007 when Red Hook residents called on the county to conduct a traffic study and instead stop signs in all directions, according to the release.
“That was never done,” the plaintiff’s attorney, John Nash, said.
“The jurors placed the responsibility on the County in this instance, and I hope it sends a message to transportation departments across the state,” he added.
The jury found the county was on the hook for $6.5 million of the settlement and found the driver liable for the rest of the award, Nash said.
