A 78-year-old woman on Long Island is fighting for her life after police say she was struck by a suspected drunk driver while crossing the street. The collision happened in a crosswalk along Long Beach Road in Nassau County. The 24-year-old man behind the wheel was arraigned the following day in Nassau County Criminal Court.
According to police, the crash happened on Thursday just before five o'clock in the evening, in broad daylight. Exclusive surveillance video showed a white van stopped at a red light, then moving forward as the woman was in the crosswalk. The vehicle struck the pedestrian as she made her way across the road.
The woman was left in grave condition after the impact. According to the account presented in court, she suffered a traumatic brain injury and a lacerated liver and was intubated, and prosecutors said she was likely not to survive. Her family was left waiting for news as she remained in a fight for her life.
The driver, named in court as Niall Dugnan, pleaded not guilty to driving while intoxicated and vehicular assault. Prosecutors said his blood alcohol content at the time was measured at .21 percent. They argued that he had been driving while highly intoxicated in broad daylight when he struck the woman in the crosswalk.
His attorney, Joseph Grasso, raised questions about how the alcohol reading was taken. He noted that a portable breath test was administered and argued that a 20-minute observation period is supposed to come before such a test to make sure the result is accurate. The defense suggested that requirement was at issue in the case.
Grasso said that Dugnan has no criminal record and is a certified emergency medical technician. He said Dugnan had been working with his parents, who maintain properties, and that there was no indication he had been drinking. According to the defense, Dugnan stayed at the scene after the crash and tried to administer CPR to the injured woman.
Dugnan was released with an ankle monitor as the case proceeds, and he said nothing to reporters as he left the courtroom. Prosecutors signaled that they viewed the case seriously given the circumstances described in court. The woman's condition remained critical as authorities continued their work on the matter.