Earlier this week, two women were arrested for their involvement in a fatal hit and run accident in Indianapolis. On September 17, two women got into a fight with co-workers that escalated as they got into their cars and onto the road. According to a report by Fox 59, the two women were chasing their co-worker’s car in a 1998 Chevrolet Malibu, trying to hit the car with a baseball bat. Because they were paying more attention to the other car and it’s occupants, the driver of the Malibu collided with a 59-year-old man. The man, who suffered severe injuries to the left side of his body and his brain, died a in the hospital a few days later.
The day after the accident, police found the Chevrolet Malibu. Since then, one of the women in the car has turned herself in to police, and the other woman was apprehended by police.
Hit-and-Run Accident Statistics
It may be hard to imagine how a driver could get into an accident and then flee the scene rather than stop and assist the other people involved in the accident, but the truth is that hit-and-run accidents are frighteningly common. Of all the fatal automobile-pedestrian accidents in the United States, one in five are hit-and-runs. Another startling statistic is that 20% of drivers opt to flee after they hit a pedestrian. Interestingly, most hit-and-run drivers are men.
Failing to Stop and Render Aid Shows an Obvious Lack of Care
It should go without saying that, if you are involved in an accident, you should stop and make sure that the other people involved in the accident are not in immediate need of medical attention. In fact, in Indiana, a separate criminal offense can arise from a failure to stop and render aid when involved in an accident.
In addition, the fact that a driver fled the scene is likely relevant in a civil lawsuit between accident victim and the hit-and-run driver. The reason is because the driver’s failure to stop and help his accident victim shows the driver’s lack of care, or, as the law calls it, “negligence.” In general, all drivers have a duty to other drivers to drive in a safe and careful manner. In addition to that general duty, another duty arises when a driver gets into an accident with another driver or pedestrian. This duty requires that the driver stop, exchange insurance information, and ensure that the others involved are not in immediate need of medical attention.
Have You Been Involved in a Hit-and-Run Accident?
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a hit-and-run accident, you may be entitled to monetary damages based on that driver’s negligence and the physical and/or emotional injuries you have suffered as a result of that negligence. To find out what your rights are, you should contact an Indiana personal injury attorney at Parr Richey Frandsen Patterson Kruse. The experienced attorneys at our Indiana accident victim firm will meet with you for a free consultation to discuss the facts of your specific situation.
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