BRONX WEEKLY F www.BXTimes.com ebruary 24, 2019 10
In recent years, injury and
even death, to pedestrians in
automobile-related accidents has
increased drastically due to increasing
use of vehicles for travel
as well as the number of them on
the road at a single time. Add that
to the foot traffic of any street,
major or small, especially in the
City of New York, and it is a recipe
for disaster. In one year, 76,000 pedestrians
were injured in vehiclerelated
accidents, which means
that roughly one pedestrian was
injured every 7 minutes.
Drivers of automobiles are often
at fault for accidents in which
pedestrians are injured. Driver
fault examples include drinking
or drug use, inattention due to
the use of cell phones or other devices,
and speeding. Other types
of accidents where the driver is
at fault include not yielding to pedestrians
while turning, running
a light or stop sign, failing to notice
a pedestrian, and driving on
the sidewalk, all causing injuries
to pedestrians. Even pedestrians
who bear some negligence or fault
for their accident are usually entitled
to a recovery, which will be
reduced by the pedestrian’s percentage
of fault.
Although no-fault auto insurance
coverage covers some medical
expenses and loss of wages,
they usually do not cover all the
expenses involved for medical
care from some serious injuries
suffered in major accidents. When
the statutory requirement for serious
injuries is met, an action
can be brought for compensation
for pain and suffering suffered by
a pedestrian in an auto accident.
No-fault benefits usually cover up
to $50,000 for medical expenses
and loss of wages. In addition to
a recovery for pain and suffering,
medical expenses and loss of wages
above the basis of $50,000, nofault
limit can be secured as well
for victims who suffer a “serious
injury.”
If you or a loved one were the
victim of a pedestrian automobile
accident, you may be entitled
to recover damages in a lawsuit.
You should contact an attorney
immediately to discuss your options.
Walter Fuller’s burnt down camper. File Photo
The Fullers’ camper home
explodes on East Tremont Ave.
BY ALEX MITCHELL
At the end of the day,
Walter and Diane Fuller are
simply lucky to be alive.
The senior couple known
around town for living in
a camper on East Tremont
Avenue by Mayfl ower
Avenue had a brush with
death in the early morning
of Saturday, February 16
when that RV mysteriously
caught fi re and exploded,
destroying everything inside
and outside of it.
“I went outside to turn
the generator on, came
back inside and thought the
black smoke was coming
from the stove, then I remembered
I wasn’t cooking
anything,” Walter said. “We
rushed out (of the camper)
in time thankfully, but we
lost everything,” he added
while mentioning that all
their clothes and important
documents are all simply
gone.
After the powerful explosion,
the Fullers were
comforted by at least 30 police
offi cers from the 45th
Precinct. They were nothing
less than wonderful to
him and his wife, Walter
exclaimed.
“They went out and
got Dianne slippers and a
jacket while we were waiting,”
he said.
The Fullers were taken
to Jacobi Medical Center for
smoke inhalation tests, but
besides Walter’s high blood
pressure rising, the 25-year
married couple didn’t suffer
an noticable injuries.
Earlier in 2018, Fuller’s
1993 Ford camper was victimized
in a late night hit
and run, that damaged the
rear driver’s side of the vehicle.
Walter and Diane
were both on board at the
time and suffered injuries
from the crash.
“I took it to Hunts Point
to be fi xed but there were
still some holes in it,” Fuller
said, mentioning his suspicion
that the heat from the
RV’s generator eroded the
camper’s insulation, causing
the fi re.
At age 79, Fuller is a retired
tractor trailer driver.
He has frequently loaned
the sides of his camper for
the campaign banners of
those he supports for political
offi ce, the most recent
being local businessman
John Cerini, during his unsuccessful
race for the NYC
Council in 2017.
Before taking up life in
the camper, Walter and Diane
lived on Eighth Avenue
in West Babylon on Long Island.
Since the camper explosion,
the Red Cross has put
them up at the Holiday Inn
LaGuardia Airport at 37-10
114th Street in Queens. The
Fullers are unsure of what
their next move will be or
where they will live.
“We asked (the Red
Cross) if we could be in the
Bronx, but they couldn’t accommodate
that,” Walter
said.
Fortunately, they’re receiving
overwhelming support
from their East Tremont
friends.
Cerini, who runs Bronx
Tax Man out of 3600 E.
Tremont Avenue has created
an online fund to help
Walter and his wife get back
on their feet.
One donor offered to
purchase Walter and Diane
$800 worth of furniture
when they fi nally settle
down in their new home.
“At least we can buy
them a bed,” Cerini said.
Councilman Mark
Gjonaj is also looking into
fi nding Walter and Diane a
place to live in the Bronx.
“Even if it’s just a studio,
we’ll take it,” Walter said.
“It’s only the two of us so we
don’t need much really,” he
added.
To contribute to Walter
and Diane’s fund, contact
Cerini at (718) 829-1040.
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