California Injury Blog
Officials arrested 53-year-old Timothy Anthony Cronin of Laguna Niguel on suspicion of hit-and-run exactly one year after he struck and seriously injured a bicyclist. According to a news reporter in The Orange County Register, Orange County Sheriff’s Department officials made the arrest on Feb. 4 Super Bowl Sunday. One year ago, on Feb. 5, 2017, a bicyclist was struck by a vehicle at Niguel Road and Ridgeway Avenue in Laguna Niguel. He suffered severe blunt-force trauma injuries causing him to lose mobility and undergo several months of rehabilitation.
Felony DUI and Hit and Run Charges
At the time, the driver fled the scene. Through their investigation the Sheriff Department’s investigators determined that Cronin was the driver. Officials said Cronin at the time may have been on his way home from a Super Bowl party and may have been intoxicated when the incident occurred. It took nearly a year to secure the evidence that resulted in Cronin’s arrest warrant and subsequent arrest, officials said.
They said since Cronin is a New England Patriots fan, they decided to arrest him before Sunday’s Super Bowl game. They saw it as an opportunity to protect the community from this man who officials suspected would have driven while under the influence yet again. Cronin was arrested while leaving his home the morning of Feb. 4 and was charged with felony hit-and-run and driving under the influence.
We are indeed relieved that this hit-and-run driver was arrested and we hope he will be brought to justice. We also wish the injured bicyclist the very best for a complete recovery.
Laws and Liability Issues
Under California law, it is illegal to leave the scene of an injury or fatal crash. Doing so is a felony crime. Motorists are required to stop immediately at the scene and wait for authorities to arrive. They must also obtain assistance for the injured victims. In this particular case, the bicyclist and his family were left to deal with the aftermath of this crash. The Register report states that the bicyclist lost his mobility as the result of the hit-and-run crash last year and had to undergo several months of rehabilitation.
These types of expenses add up very quickly. And in a hit-and-run crash, injured victims have no one to hold accountable if the at-fault driver hasn’t been apprehended. Victims are left dealing with the financial, emotional and physical repercussions of a hit-and-run crash. However, they don’t have to do it all alone. An experienced Orange County car accident attorney can help them hold the at-fault parties accountable and help them secure maximum compensation for their losses.
Source: https://www.ocregister.com/2018/02/05/man-arrested-a-year-after-2017-super-bowl-sunday-hit-and-run-in-laguna-niguel/