California Injury Blog
LAPD officials are asking the public for help in their search for a hit-and-run driver who left the scene after fatally striking a female pedestrian in the Harvard Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles the night of Aug. 19.
According to a KTLA news report, the crash occurred when the victim was walking northbound on Washington Boulevard in a marked crosswalk at Gramercy Place when a silver sedan traveling west on Washington Boulevard struck her.
Ongoing Investigation
Investigators say the woman was thrown several feet due to the impact before landing on the roadway. Paramedics responded to the scene and transported the victim, who was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The driver continued westbound on Washington without stopping or rendering aid to the victim, police said. No further descriptions of the hit-and-run vehicle or driver were immediately available. Anyone with information is asked to contact LAPD at 213-473-0234. The investigation is ongoing.
We offer our deepest condolences to the family members of this deceased victim for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
LA Hit-and-Run Crashes
According to a recent report by Curbed LA, there were more than 100,000 hit-and-run cases in the city of Los Angeles from 2014 to 2018. Of those, 23,698 were felony hit-and-run cases, which means that someone was hurt or killed in the crash. Fewer than 16,000 drivers were arrested in that four-year time span and only 715 of them were on suspicion of felony crimes.
Leaving the scene of an injury or fatal crash is a felony crime under California law. California Vehicle Code 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.”
In such cases, families of deceased hit-and-run victims are not only left grappling with the emotional and financial consequences of having lost a loved one but also struggle because they don’t have anyone to hold accountable. Families of hit-and-run victims would be well advised to contact an experienced Los Angeles hit-and-run lawyer who will stay abreast of the official investigation and help ensure that their legal rights and best interests are protected.
A knowledgeable car accident lawyer will also be able to advise families about how their own car insurance policy might apply to an incident where the hit-and-run driver has not been identified or where the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured.
Source: https://ktla.com/news/local-news/hit-and-run-driver-sought-after-fatally-striking-pedestrian-in-harvard-heights-neighborhood/