California Injury Blog
Virginia Ramirez, 79, was killed in a Los Angeles car accident after she was struck by two vehicles. According to a CBS news report, the hit-and-run accident occurred the morning of March 17, 2012 near Glenoaks Boulevard and Mercer Street in Pacoima. Ramirez was crossing the street in an unmarked crosswalk when the first vehicle hit her. Officials say that a Latino male got out of his car, looked at the victim lying on the roadway and then got back into his vehicle and drove away. That vehicle has been described as a bright red pickup truck, possibly a Nissan Frontier.
A second vehicle, a white Chevy Mote Carlo then crashed into the woman as she was lying on the roadway. The second driver, only described as a woman, also fled the scene. Anyone with information about these hit-and-run drivers is asked to contact LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division at 818-644-8114.
I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Virginia Ramirez for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Hit-and-Run Collisions
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 185 people died and 20,260 were injured in California due to hit-and-run car accidents. Of those 88 deaths and 2,127 injuries involved pedestrian accidents.
Leaving the Scene of an Injury Collision
Based on this news article, the two motorists struck the elderly woman and then left her lying on the roadway without getting help. Appalling! The first driver hit the victim who was legally walking in an unmarked crosswalk, got out of his car, looked at her and then got back in and drove away! What kind of a person does that?
Not only is leaving the scene of a car accident an inhumane and unconscionable 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.”
Compensation for Victims’ Families
I trust these hit-and-run suspects will be quickly apprehended and brought to justice. If you have any information, please visit our web site at www.hitandrunreward.com to offer an anonymous tip and become eligible to receive a $1,000 reward.
Victims’ families in such cases would be well advised to seek the counsel of an experienced Los Angeles personal injury lawyer, who will stay on top of the official investigation and ensure that their legal rights and best interests are protected. A skilled car accident attorney will also be able to advise the victim’s family about how their own car insurance policy might apply to an incident where a hit-and-run driver is not located, or, in a case where the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured.