Man Arrested for Lemon Grove Hit-and-Run
A man was arrested for a fatal hit-and-run pedestrian accident in Lemon Grove according to recent reports. The unidentified 46-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run after hitting the victim, a female who was running on Massachusetts Avenue near Mount Vernon Street. The driver initially left the scene but returned about an hour later. Drugs and alcohol were not believed to be a factor in the crash.
Hit-and-Run Facts
Hit-and-run accidents are usually charged as a felony in California, particularly if there is extensive property damage or injury to a person. In fact, a hit-and-run accident is always charged as a felony if personal injury is involved, although minor property damage may result in a misdemeanor charge.
While everyone agrees that drivers should be held responsible for their actions, the problem with such stringent measures for hit-and-run is that the driver may have a good reason to hide in order to avoid these charges. When a driver returns to the scene of an accident, he or she is sure to be charged, while a person who flees may not be caught. This gives strong motivation to drivers to flee the scene and avoid confessing their crimes if possible.
Every year, thousands of people are the victims of hit-and-run crashes. The victim of a hit-and-run accident may be able to recover damages for his or her injuries by:
- Locating the driver. Some drivers are caught, particularly if there is a concerted effort on the part of the police and media to bring the perpetrator to justice. By advertising the details of an accident through the media, someone may recognize the driver and come forward.
- Filing a claim against an uninsured motorist policy. If the victim has uninsured motorist coverage, that policy may pay for medical costs and other expenses on behalf of the victim, even if the driver is never located.
- Filing a claim against a third party. A third party may also have liability in the crash, so the victim may have someone else against whom to file a claim. This third party could be another driver, a city or county agency or a business or other entity.
If you have been the victim of a hit-and-run crash, contact personal injury attorney Dan Gilleon in San Diego. With years of experience in handling all types of car accident cases, Dan Gilleon may be able to help you recover damages as well.
