Man checking on vehicle in embankment killed on I-81

Sometimes the best intentions turn out to have tragic outcomes. Just before the new year hit, a man who had gotten out of his vehicle on a New York interstate in order to check on another vehicle was hit by another vehicle and died on the scene.

Oswego County officials outlined the tragic chain of events that led to the crash. The 27-year-old man was in a vehicle along with a 29-year-old female when they noticed an occupied vehicle that was in an embankment on the side of Interstate 81. They pulled over onto the shoulder and got out of the vehicle in order to walk down to the vehicle that was in the embankment.

At the same time, a 19-year-old driver also went down the embankment and hit the man and woman. The man died at the scene of the accident. The woman was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Syracuse. The 19-year-old driver was not injured. Police say the weather conditions at the time of the accident were very poor.

This is definitely a tragic outcome especially considering the two individuals stopped to check on the vehicle that was already in the embankment. Although weather conditions may have played a factor, an investigation will hopefully reveal whether any negligent behavior was at play in this incident. The accident happened around 3 p.m. so although visibility may have been decreased, it was still light out. The victim’s family may choose to follow the results of the investigation closely if they plan to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver who caused the fatal accident.