Man falls out of wheelchair and then is killed by impaired driver, Suffolk County police say
CORAM, N.Y. -- A Long Island family is mourning their loved one who was killed while crossing the road in his wheelchair.
Suffolk County police say the driver who hit him was impaired.
CBS New York spoke with members of the victim's family.
Raymond Hubbard's heartbroken sisters started a small memorial Sunday night along Middle Country Road in Coram for their 33-year-old brother, who was struck and killed there on Saturday night.
"I was in shock, hysterical crying, because he's been through a lot. He was already recently paralyzed from his waist down, my mom passed, and now this," Tavina Hubbard said.
They felt more comfortable speaking off-camera while sharing what happened.
"He was staying at a shelter up the street and I was told by them he was actually on his way to see me to show me his new wheelchair," Tavina Hubbard said.
CBS New York was given a photo of Raymond Hubbard in the new wheelchair that he never got to show her in person. Suffolk County police say he was crossing the roadway in front of 541 Middle Country Road at around 10:15 p.m., when he fell out of his wheelchair onto the westbound lane.
"Just to know that he fell out of his wheelchair and nobody even stopped to put on their hazard and help him out the street because I heard cars were riding around him instead of getting out and helping him. That's terrible," Tavina Hubbard said.
According to police, he was struck by 25-year-old Nicholas Doxtader, who was arrested and charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs.
"If he wasn't impaired, he possibly could have seen him on the roadway and stopped and helped him instead of running him over," Tavina Hubbard said.
"He didn't deserve that. He was a good person. He tried his best to always brighten up whoever was around him," Debrena Hubbard added.
And that's how his family wants him to be remembered.
"I just want everybody to know that he was an amazing soul and he will truly be missed," Debrena Hubbard said.
CBS New York was told the driver was put on supervised released with alcohol and narcotics conditions, and weekly reporting in person and is due back in court on Thursday.
Detectives are asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash or have information, to call the Suffolk County Police Department.
