California Injury Blog
A 44-year-old driver suffered major injuries in a Los Angeles car accident, which officials say involved a hit-and-run driver. According to a CBS news report, the major injury collision occurred at the intersection of Victory Boulevard and Densmore Avenue, the evening of May 8, 2012. A Ford Ranger pickup truck slammed broadside into the driver’s side door of a white Toyota Tercel driven by the victim. The pickup rolled over, landed on its wheels and was seen leaving the scene. The victim remains hospitalized in critical condition. Police have described the suspect as a white man in his late-50s who drove a dark 2000s model Ford Ranger pickup truck. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Valley Traffic Division at (818) 644-8000.
My thoughts and prayers are with the injured victim of this hit-and-run car accident. I wish him the very best for a quick and complete recovery.
Los Angeles Car Accidents
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were 227 fatalities and 25,043 injuries reported as a result of car accidents in the city of Los Angeles. Also, countywide, 554 people died and 50,817 were injured as a result of car accidents, during the same year.
Leaving the Scene of a Crash
Based on this news report, it appears that the driver of the pickup truck broadsided the Toyota and then fled the scene without even stopping to help the other seriously injured driver. Unconscionable! Not only is it inhumane and irresponsible to leave the scene of an injury crash, 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 Injured Victims
Officials are still looking for the hit-and-run driver and vehicle. 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.
In such cases, injured hit-and-run victims and their families are left holding the bills for medical and other various expenses. Car accident victims would be well advised to contact an experienced Los Angeles personal injury lawyer who will stay on top of the official investigation and ensure that the negligent parties are held liable. A knowledgeable accident attorney will be able to better advise victims about how their own auto insurance policy might apply to a case where the hit-and-run driver is not found or in a case where the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured.