If you plan on taking a walk during the early evening hours when the sun has already set, we’d like you to take a moment to read about a recent accident that occurred in Santa Fe involving a couple who was hit by a city snowplow driver.

On January 11^th, 68-year old Toni Fammartino and her husband Joseph Fammartino went out for an evening stroll heading south on Galisteo. The couple stopped at Paseo de Peralta, on the edge of downtown Santa Fe,” reported the Albuquerque Journal and as the two began to cross over Paseo after being given the signal to walk, they entered the crosswalk.  It was during this time that the couple was struck by a snowplow driver. Toni stated that “she just saw the snowplow hit them and the next thing she remembered [she] was lying on the road next to Joseph,” her husband. 

The driver of the snowplow, identified as Billy Kavanaugh, had been making a left turn at the time onto Paseo de Peralta when he allegedly hit the couple, although he was unaware that he had hit anyone at the time. As a result, he continued driving. Shortly after the accident, Kavanaugh came back around to Paseo where the couple remained lying in the road as his job required him to circle back around that same intersection. Now, when Kavanaugh drove through the intersection for the second time, he allegedly contacted his supervisor and informed him that an accident had occurred as it had already been reported to police. The source says that he drove away again.

Soon after leaving the scene of the accident for the second time, “Kavanaugh’s supervisor called him back after it was reported that a snowplow had hit the two pedestrians and asked him to return to the scene.” When Kavanaugh returned, he spoke with police officers and informed them that the intersection was dark and that he hadn’t seen anyone. The officer who responded to the incident included in his report that there were no street lights at the intersection and that it was “very dark.” The incident was also called in around 6:30 p.m. which was an hour after the sun had set. Snow had just fallen and the roads were wet and icy.

The source went on to highlight that an officer inspected the snowplow, which was owned by the city, and he was able to identify “evidence that it had hit someone.” Aside from the evidence found on the snow plow, police also included in their report that Kavanaugh “was really remorseful in his answers and was really concerned about the status of the injured.” Kavanaugh was required to submit to an alcohol and drug test and was removed from his driving position until the results came back. He may or may not be charged with careless driving as a result of the accident.

As for the couple, both suffered injuries and required medical attention. Toni received treatment for a cut she suffered on the back of her head and complained of shoulder pain. Joseph, on the other hand, suffered “serious facial injuries and could possibly suffer vision loss and brain damage.”

What should a victim of such circumstances do after engaging in an accident in Albuquerque?

Accidents involving city workers happen more frequently than you might think. And if you have been involved in any type of accident, whether it happened while you were driving or crossing the street and a city worker is responsible for causing it, it is best you contact Albuquerque, NM personal injury attorney Brian K. Branch. Trying to hold a city worker liable for your injuries can be tough, but the process is much easier to get through when you have an experienced attorney like me representing you. To learn more about the process you must go through in order to recognize a city worker for their negligence as well as how much your pain and suffering might be worth, contact the Law Office of Brian K. Branch, PC today to schedule an initial consultation.

Tel: 505.207.4401

My office is one of the best law firms in the Albuquerque area that provides legal services to victims of all types of accidents.