As any Los Angeles resident probably knows, there are many drivers in this area who make dangerous, reckless or simply bad decisions behind the wheel. They get distracted, frustrated or overly aggressive while driving and put other people in serious danger of getting hurt in an accident.
These behaviors would be bad enough; but there are also people who end up causing an accident and then make the extremely irresponsible and negligent decision to then leave the scene of the crash. Hit-and-run drivers are among the most reckless people on the roads because while an accident may simply be an accident, leaving the scene is a conscious decision. People who do this may think they can escape being held responsible for their actions, but many times they are identified and tracked down by authorities. This is evidently what happened to one driver who apparently caused a pedestrian accident and then drove away.
The accident happened outside of Los Angeles at about 1:30 in the morning. A teenager was crossing the street when she was struck by an SUV. Immediately after the crash, the driver reportedly shut off his headlights and drove away.
Thankfully, one astute witness saw the accident and followed the SUV while calling police to report the driver. The authorities quickly responded to the alleged driver’s house and arrested him for driving under the influence and felony hit and run.
The teenager who was hurt is recovering from her serious injuries but is reportedly in stable condition. It is possible that the girl and her parents will take legal action against the driver should his role in the crash be confirmed. In many pedestrian accidents, victims can suffer serious bodily harm due to being struck by a large, powerful and heavy vehicle. The medical bills and pain and suffering experienced after this type of collision can be significant, and a legal claim by victims can be a good way to pursue compensation for these and other damages stemming from an accident.
Source: KTTV, “Hit & Run Accident Sends Skateboarder To Hospital,” Jeffrey Thomas DeSocio, July 14, 2014