Two Long Island City shop owners have filed a $1 million lawsuit against the city, two construction firms and the drivers of three speeding cars that slammed into their storefronts early last year.
Scott Agulnick, attorney for the owners of Espinal’s Caribbean Restaurant II and Villa De Beaute Hair Salon, filed the lawsuit in Queens Supreme Court on March 30, seeking compensation from the city Department of Transportation (DOT), the city Economic Development Corporation (EDC), construction companies Liro Engineers, of Syosset, L.I., Triumph Construction Corporation, of The Bronx, the three motorists and the estate of a passenger who was killed in the third crash.
According to the lawsuit, owner Tony Espinal, 44, operated Espinal’s Caribbean Restaurant, 25-06 Queens Plaza South, for four years prior to the first crash and Akber Jiwani, 32, had operated Villa De Beaute hair salon at 25-04 Queens Plaza South for only six months.
The lawsuit charges that the destruction of the two shops and business losses suffered by the owners were caused by “negligently planned and/or designed traffic patterns…leading to the location of the incident which constitutes a hazardous and/or dangerous condition”.
The first crash occurred at about 4 a.m. on Mar. 28, 2011 when driver Grant Riddell lost control of his 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit while exiting the Ed Koch-Queensboro Bridge at an off-ramp near Crescent Street and Queens Plaza South.
The Volkswagen slammed into the two storefronts and struck pedestrian Anthony Buscemi, who was on his way to work. Buscemi was pinned beneath the wreckage and died a short while later.
Eight days later at about 4 a.m. on Apr. 8, 2011, Alexander Palacio lost control of his 2006 Volkswagen Jetta while exiting the bridge from the same off-ramp. The Volkswagen crashed into the two storefronts, killing passenger Beatriz Rodriguez.
The lawsuit names Nikki Riddell, owner of the Volkswagen Rabbit in the first crash and the estate of Rodriguez, who owned the Volkswagen Jetta.
In an eerie coincidence, drivers Riddell and Palacio each lost their left arm in the crashes.
Driver Palacio, 39, filed a lawsuit in Queens Supreme Court in December 2011, charging the city with negligence for altering the exit ramp to make space for pedestrians and bicyclists. The suit also charges that the city knew the exit ramp that feeds into the heavily trafficked Bridge Plaza South was dangerous, but did nothing to correct the condition.
Palacio was arrested following the crash and charged with driving without a valid license.
A third crash occurred on May 21, 2011 when yet another Volkswagen sped out of control from the off-ramp. The car sped toward the restaurant and hair salon, but came to a halt when it slammed into a livery cab, then into concrete barriers and scaffolding that had been installed in front of the damaged storefronts. There were no fatalities and the storefronts were spared further damage.
DOT workers installed new signs at the exit ramp following the crashes, reminding motorists of the 30 mph speed limit on the bridge and the 20 mph speed limit on the exit ramps. Workers also installed rumble strips and a speed board on the exit ramp that shows motorists how fast they are driving, DOT officials said.
City attorneys refused comment on the lawsuits.
