A 17-year-old boy has been severely injured in a Los Angeles car accident, which officials say, involved a hit-and-run driver. According to a City News Service report, the injury collision occurred the night of September 5, 2011, when the boy was struck while walking across the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and Lemona Avenue in Encino. Police say the driver slowed down to less than 5 mph and then sped east on Ventura Boulevard toward Van Nuys Boulevard.
Officials describe the vehicle as a white Dodge Caravan with a partial license plate of 6RQ and the driver as a white male, 6 feet tall weighing 170 to 200 pounds. The teenager was hospitalized with serious injuries. Anyone who has information about the suspect, vehicle or the incident is asked to contact Valley Traffic Division at 818-644-8036.
My heart goes out to this young man who has been seriously injured in this hit-and-run car accident. I pray for his swift and full recovery.
Pedestrian Accidents in Los Angeles
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were 82 fatalities and 2,630 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in Los Angeles. Also, countywide, pedestrian accidents claimed 179 lives and caused 4,918 injuries, during the same year.
Leaving the Scene of a Crash
Based on this news report, it appears that the driver of the Dodge slowed down almost to a stop, then, changed his mind and drove away leaving the teenager lying on the roadway, seriously injured, and exposed to further danger. There is absolutely no excuse in my book for leaving the scene of an injury crash without even stopping to help someone who has been hurt. Hit-and-run is also illegal.
California Vehicle Code Section 20001 (a) states: “The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than himself or herself, or in the death of a person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident.”
Holding Hit-and-Run Drivers Accountable
I trust officials find will soon find this driver and prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law. If you have any information at all, please visit our web site at www.hitandrunreward.com to offer an anonymous tip and become eligible to win a $1,000 reward. The web site is our initiative to partner with the community and law enforcement and help hold hit-and-run drivers accountable.
Injured victims of hit-and-run collisions would be well-advised to contact an experienced Los Angeles personal injury lawyer, who will stay abreast of the official investigation and make sure their legal rights and best interests are protected. A knowledgeable car accident attorney will also be able to inform victims and their families about how their own auto insurance policy applies to an incident where the hit-and-run driver is never found, or, in a case where the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured.