- December 16, 2025
When Patrick Flanagan, 82, died after being hit by a car in a parking lot, his pension was terminated.
Sixteen-year-old Katrina Smith, of Palm Coast’s L-section, missed an open parking spot at the RaceTrac gas station Jan. 16, on Palm Coast Parkway. But when she reversed toward the spot, she struck 82-year-old Patrick Flanagan, of the F-section, who later died at Halifax Medical Center.
According to attorney Alan Ziffra, Smith will not face criminal charges as a result of the accident.
“Careless driving is not a criminal infraction,” Ziffra said. “(Smith’s) options are either to pay (a couple hundred dollars) or contest it. If she contests it, she will go in front of a Flagler County judge. … But I would not expect her to contest.”
Maureen Flanagan, Patrick Flanagan’s wife of 52 years, however, has a hard financial road ahead, according to Ziffra.
Described as a “lifelong homemaker” by Ziffra, Maureen Flanagan never owned a driver’s license or worked for a company. She has four children, 17 grandchildren and was living off her husband’s pension from the New York City Police Department.
But those funds have dried up.
“NYPD employees have an option of receiving 100% of their pension with no right of survivorship, or a lower rate … with a right of survivorship,” Ziffra explained. “Unfortunately in this case, Mr. Flanagan chose to have the higher pension amount without the right of survivorship … so those benefits terminated … as did his supplemental health insurance.”
Maureen Flanagan is currently receiving $140 per month from Social Security.
In the meantime, Ziffra is in negotiations both with Smith’s liability insurance company for her vehicle and with Flanagan’s underinsured motorist policy.
“(Maureen Flanagan’s) options are, mainly, relying on my shoulders to get her enough compensation … to financially support herself for the rest of her life,” Ziffra added.
In the accident, Flanagan was hit on his right side by Smith’s 2012 white Ford Focus and knocked to the ground, where his head hit the concrete, according to a report from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
He was hospitalized and went into a medical coma due to brain bleeding and several fractures on his skull. He then died two weeks later.
Flanagan and Smith are both covered under State Farm.
