There is rarely an excuse for leaving the scene of an accident, especially when it involves injuries. It’s a driver’s duty to stay at the scene to help and give information to the police when they arrive. When a driver leaves the scene before help arrives or flees purposefully, that driver can be charged with a hit-and-run, which is a criminal offense. On top of that, the family of victims or people who are victimized can seek claims against the driver for any injuries he or she caused, whether that’s through insurance or a civil lawsuit.
In a recent case, a driver was arrested in Oregon for a hit-and-run collision that resulted in the death of one person on Highway 26. The Aug. 9 report indicated that the 67-year-old man involved in the hit-and-run crash initially fled the scene, leaving the injured people in the roadway. Later, the man notified authorities about his possible involvement in the incident.
When the crash took place at around 10:30 p.m., two people had been hit by the driver just east of the tunnel on Highway 26. The 31-year-old woman walking with a 45-year-old man passed away at the scene, while the man was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
When the driver reported that he may have been involved, he was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center. Records show that he’s been charged with two counts of felony hit-and-run, one count of DUI and one count for reckless driving.
In this situation, at least one family is suffering a severe loss. That family could have the right to seek compensation, just like yours if you find yourself in a similar situation.
Source: KOIN 6, “Driver arrested in Hwy 26 hit-run that killed one,” Brent Weisberg, Aug. 09, 2016
