San Rafael police have arrested a Novato man in connection with a hit-and-run San Francisco car accident in which a teen pedestrian was injured. According to a CBS News report, two girls — ages 15 and 16 — were crossing Second Street in San Rafael, in a marked crosswalk, the evening of March 8, 2010, when a maroon van southbound on B Street, hit them. One of the girls sustained leg injuries. The driver did not stop and continued east on Second Street.
Hit-and-Run Suspect Apprehended
However, a witness wrote down the van’s license plate number and reported it to authorities. A Marin County Sheriff’s deputy driving north on Highway 101 near Lucas Valley Road, spotted the suspect vehicle, and arrested 48-year-old Gbayere Germain Any on charges of felony hit-and-run and failure to yield to a pedestrian, which is an infraction, a much lesser crime.
I hope and pray that neither of the two young victims was seriously injured. I wish the injured girl the very best for a quick and complete recovery.
Car Accident Laws
Leaving the scene of an accident is a serious crime under California law. According to California Vehicle Code section 20001: “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.”
In this pedestrian accident, the motorist not only left the crash scene but, also, failed to yield right-of-way to the girls who were legally crossing the street in a marked crosswalk. California Vehicle Code Section 21950 states: “The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.” The same section also states that the driver of a vehicle approaching a pedestrian within any marked or unmarked crosswalk “shall exercise all due care and shall reduce the speed of a vehicle or take any other action relating to the operating of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian.”
Liability Issues
In this case, had Any stopped after he hit the girls, all he may have had to do was pay a fine for the infraction, which is a minor offense. However, he now faces criminal felony charges because he fled the scene of the crash. He has now been charged with a far more serious offense. Any can also be held civilly liable for the injuries caused to the teenager. The victim and her family in this case can seek compensation to cover medical expenses, pain and suffering and other costs incurred as a result of the girl’s injuries. In such cases an experienced San Francisco personal injury lawyer will be able to give victims and their families more information about their legal rights and options.
The Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.