A 19-year-old man was severely injured in an Orange County car accident, which officials report may have involved a hit-and-run driver. According to a City News report, the injury collision occurred in the area of Harbor Boulevard and East Valley View Drive in Fullerton, the early morning of November 9, 2011. Officials found the victim lying on the roadway. He was transported to an area trauma center with head and leg injuries. Police say the man’s injuries are consistent with a hit-and-run. An investigation is ongoing.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the injured victim of this hit-and-run car accident. I wish him the very best for a quick and full recovery.
Car Accident Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were five fatalities and 761 injuries involving Fullerton car accidents. In Orange County as a whole, 141 people died and 13,373 were injured due to car accidents, during the same year.
Possible Hit-and-Run
Based on this news report, it appears that the young man was struck and severely injured and left on the roadway to die. Appalling! Leaving the scene of a crash is not only an inhumane and irresponsible act, but it 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 Wrongdoers Accountable
I trust officials will soon be able to identify and apprehend the hit-and-run driver and bring him or her to justice. If you witnessed this incident or have any information about the suspect or the vehicle, please visit our web site at www.hitandrunreward.com to offer an anonymous tip and become eligible to receive a $1,000 reward.
Hit-and-run victims in such cases would be well advised to contact an experienced Orange County personal injury lawyer, who will stay abreast of the official investigation and ensure that their legal rights and best interests are protected. A skilled car accident attorney will also inform victims and their families about how their own car insurance policy applies to an incident where the hit-and-run driver is never found, or in a case where the at-fault motorist is uninsured or underinsured.