Suspect Sought in Hit and Run Crash Near Lake Elsinore

California Highway Patrol officials are looking for a suspect in a hit-and-run crash that left a 24-year-old Lake Elsinore motorcyclist with major injuries on Highway 74 between Lake Elsinore and Perris the evening of Feb. 3. According to a report in The Press-Enterprise, the victim was traveling on a Suzuki dirt bike west on the 74 east of Hammack Avenue when a gray, four-door 2006 Ford F-250 that was heading east on the highway turned north on Hammack into the path of the dirt bike.

Major Injury Collision

The truck’s front end collided with the bike’s right side. The victim was ejected from the bike and came to rest at the intersection. The driver of the truck parked the vehicle in the roadway and fled the scene on foot, a witness told CHP officials. The injured man was transported to an area hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Anyone with information is asked to contact CHP at 951-506-2000.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the motorcyclist who has been seriously injured in this hit and run crash. We hope the suspect is apprehended and brought to justice. We wish the victim the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

Laws and Liability Issues

Based on this news report it appears that the driver of the pickup truck not only made an unsafe left turn into the path of the motorcyclist, striking and leaving him seriously injured but also abandoned his vehicle and fled the scene.

California Vehicle Code Section 21801 (a) states: “The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left or to complete a U-turn upon a highway, or to turn left into public or private property, or an alley, shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching from the opposite direction which are close enough to constitute a hazard at any time during the turning movement, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to the approaching vehicles until the left turn or U-turn can be made with reasonable safety.”

It is also illegal to leave the scene of a crash without exchanging pertinent information or helping the injured victim. In such cases, injured victims and their families suffer the most because they are left with mounting medical expenses and no one to hold accountable. Injured victims and families in such situations would be well advised to contact an experienced Riverside car accident lawyer who will stay abreast of the official investigation and help ensure that their legal rights and best interests are protected every step of the way.

Source: https://www.pe.com/2021/02/03/chp-seeks-suspect-in-hit-and-run-crash-northeast-of-lake-elsinore/