When there is an auto accident in Florida, those who were involved are required to stop for a multitude of reasons. As a matter of legality, a person who commits a hit and run will be violating the law and can be subject to numerous consequences. Unfortunately, some people do choose to flee the scene after they have been involved in a car collision. Those who have a crash need to be aware of this possibility and be cognizant of their surrounding to assist in an accident investigation.
It is not unusual for people — often pedestrians — to be hit by a vehicle with the vehicle leaving the scene. One incident on the first day of the new year occurred at around 9:30 p.m. and resulted in a man’s death. Another, in the last week of December 2015, resulted in a woman on a bicycle dying five days after being hit by a car with the driver fleeing the scene. Across the state, the number of people involved in a hit and run is significant.
From 2012 to 2014, there were nearly 236,000 hit and run incidents in Florida. This information, from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, is troublesome in a myriad of ways. In 2014 alone, one out of every four accidents had a motorist leaving the scene. The Treasure Coast shows a disturbing number of vehicles that left the scene of a crash. In the area, there were 14 hit and run fatalities with a crash involving vehicles from 2012 to 2014. When the accidents involved a pedestrian, there were ten fatal hit and run crashes from 2012 to 2014.
Those who have been injured in a car accident or have lost a loved one in a car collision without knowing who the other driver is need to understand how to pursue an investigation. Of course, law enforcement will look into the crash, but given the sheer number of accidents that occur in the state, it can be difficult to get undivided attention. This is why it is important for those who have suffered a loss in this type of crash speak to an experienced attorney to investigate the case and pursue litigation to be compensated.
Source: tcpalm.com, “How can so many Florida drivers flee the scene of a crash?,” Rich Campbell, Jan. 6, 2016
