Westchester County

Published on: January 21, 2012

Mystery of Woman Left for Dead Remains Unsolved in Miami

by Stephen Bilkis

A unconscious woman, naked and beaten, was discovered in an undeveloped Miami cul-de-sac in Miami, in February 2005. Investigators, are still confused by the turns this case has taken.”She was dumped out and left for dead,” a Miami-Dade police detective said.

The victim was without identification, and even after canvassing houses near the site, the police were unable to turn up any new information. It was a day before the victim regained consciousness, but she had difficulty remember what happened, due to the savage beating she had received. While the extent of her injuries were unclear, the types of assaults can result in a broken bone, spinal injury or brain injury.

At the time, she couldn’t speak, but she was able to write enough to identify herself as a Ukrainian woman who worked for a cruise line. She also wrote down her attorney’s name and phone number, which the detective found “very unusual”, as told to a New York Injury Lawyer.

Published on: January 18, 2012

DWI Results in Three-Car Delaware Crash

by Stephen Bilkis

Both members of a Maryland couple were charged with DWI, among other charges, after causing a three-car crash in Seaford, Delaware. The incident happened about 11:05 p.m. on U.S. 13, a state police spokesman told a New York Injury Lawyer.

The first driver, a 30-year-old man, was leading a second driver, a 31-year-old woman back to their home when the front car came to a sudden stop, which resulted in the 31-year-old woman slamming the rear of his car.

The impact pushed the front car into the rear of another car, driven by a 22-year-old woman. She was sent to a local hospital with with a possible back injury, then treated and released, the police spokesman reported.

Published on: January 10, 2012

Family of Slain Man Sue Police for wrongful death

by Stephen Bilkis

A family has filed a $120-million personal injurylawsuit against an officer who allegedly killed a Pace University football player in the course of a late-night bar fight.

The 20-year-old student was allegedly shot by two officers as they removed a crowd of people, mostly Pace students, from a Mount Pleasant bar in the fall of 2010.

Prosecutors did not file charges against the two officers who shot the young man, claiming there wasn’t sufficient evidence to show they’d done anything wrong, sources told The public. The student’s family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in federal court against the officer who fired the fatal shot.

Published on: January 8, 2012

Man Treated After House Fire

by Stephen Bilkis

A man from Marion who was working on a motorcycle in his garage was taken to the hospital for treatment, says a friend. The man was working on the motorcycle when there was an explosion in his garage. He is currently in the hospital and it is unknown when he will be released.

Firefighters were sent to his home somewhere between 9 pm and 10 pm that evening after someone called the police to report the explosion, stated the report.

The explosion did cause damage to the garage, which happens to luckily not be connected to the house that is on the property, reports the friend. The explosion also caused damage to the siding on one of the neighbor’s houses, although at this time it is not known exactly how much damage was caused or exactly how far the explosion reached. Fire investigators say that the explosion could possibly have reached houses and properties several houses down from the incident.

Published on: December 27, 2011

Father Arrested in Sexual Abuse Case Results in $1.8 Million Settlement

by Stephen Bilkis

After spending 80 days in jail, and facing possible life in prison, a West Bloomfield man who was accused of raping his autistic daughter has been granted a $1.8 Million dollar wrongful-arrest settlement. This was for a form of premises liability.

The man’s wife also faced decades in jail, as the accusation stated that she had stood by and watched the assaults take place. Their 14-year-old daughter, who is severely autistic and cannot speak, was the suspected victim. She and her 13-year-old brother were placed in foster care.

The case began to unravel when judges began to more closely examine the evidence. The only evidence in the case was a statement that the 14-year-old girl supposedly typed with the help of a teacher’s aide at her school, reported a policeman. She stated that her father had raped her since the age of 7 and that her mother had stood by and watched.

Published on: December 12, 2011

Baby Thrown from Car Suffers Only Minor Injuries

by Stephen Bilkis

A baby suffered minor injuries after being thrown from a speeding car driven by the baby’s father. The incident happened after the baby’s mother and father had a fight, reports a source. The father put the baby in the back seat of the car but failed to secure the infant car seat using the seatbelt. The mother got into the car and it sped off. Unfortunately, the father did not close the car door completely and the baby fell out when the father made a fast turn.

According to a witness, the parents got out of the car, picked up the baby and the car seat and placed both back in the car. Then the car sped off. The witness called the police who stopped the car a mile from the accident scene. The baby had a few bumps and bruises, but was otherwise fine. The baby was taken to the hospital and later was taken into the custody of child protective services, suggests a source. The parents are facing charges of reckless endangerment of a minor and causing personal injury to their child. The mother is also facing assault charges because she attempted to stop social workers from taking the baby.

The parents are 16 and 19 years of age and have a history of fighting. Other witnesses have come forward to say that the couple fights often. Social services will now have to conduct an investigation to determine if the baby is safe at home or if the baby would be safer in foster care. According to a person close to the case, the parents, in addition to facing criminal charges, may have to complete parenting classes to demonstrate their ability to care for a child properly.

Published on: November 29, 2011

School Bus Driver Injured in Vehicular Accident

by Stephen Bilkis

A school bus driver suffered minor injuries to his face after being run off the road by a 20-ton coal truck. The bus was carrying high school students on their way to participate in a college science class. The bus driver was able to turn the bus and avoid the coal truck before it hit the bus. None of the students on the bus suffered an injury. They are calling the bus driver a hero.

One of the teachers on the bus says he was grateful to have an alert and experienced driver who knew what to do to avoid a potentially deadly accident. The bus driver received facial lacerations from shattered glass and was treated for these injuries by medical personnel. The bus driver swerved and landed in a ditch. The impact caused the windshield to crack.

Further investigation is needed to determine the exact cause of this accident. The coal truck may have been trying to pass the bus and miscalculated the bus’s speed. The coal truck crossed into the same lane as the bus and nearly caused a head-on collision. Mechanical error or medical emergency may be to blame which is why further investigation is needed.

Published on: November 18, 2011

Incident in New York Causes National Transportation Safety Board Looks Into Tour Bus Accidents

by Stephen Bilkis

A deadly auto accident in New York has prompted lawmakers to take a closer look at the United States tour bus industry.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will “launch a broad investigation into the entire safety regime that governs the low-cost bus industry,” lawmakers said.

According to these legislators, they made the decision after a March 12 accident in which 15 people were killed.

Published on: November 11, 2011

First Trial Begins in Connecticut Doctor Sex-Abuse Case

by Stephen Bilkis

All the victims are now grown and the suspect now deceased, but the witness are still coming forward to testify against a Connecticut doctor who police believe may have molested hundreds, or even thousands, of children over a thirty-year span of time.

A civil case in Waterbury Superior Court is the first of about 90 to reach the trial. They are all suing St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center of Hartford, alleging that hospital official did nothing to stop the abuse by the doctor who died in 1998 and never faced any criminal charges.

One victim, now 50-years-old, told the court that the doctor took pictures of him and his sister performing sex acts together. The doctor abused him over a three year period, starting in 1969 when the victim was only eight years old. Parents and hospital officials were told the victim was being used in a human growth study.

Published on: October 4, 2011

Walt Disney faces charges for Donald Duck allegedly groping a woman’s breast

by Stephen Bilkis

Donald Duck might be costing Walt Disney World more than $200,000 for alleged inappropriate behavior, reported a New York Injury Lawyer.

A 27-year-old woman recently visited Walt Disney World with her small child. While she was visiting Epcot Center, she claimed she approached Donald Duck for an autograph, just as she had been doing with all of the other characters. Just as she was getting her pen and autograph book back, she claims the person in the Donald Duck costume groped her breast.

Almost immediately after her visit, the woman filed a federal lawsuit against Walt Disney World that would seek more than $200,000 in damages. The woman claimed she had been experiencing post – traumatic distress and hadn’t been able to sleep after the incident.