Articles Posted in Hit & Run Accident

Many people are shocked when they realize how common hit-and-run accidents are in the Phoenix area and are alarmed to learn that these incidents are on the rise in many parts of the country. After all, the laws in Arizona make it as clear as can be: motorists involved in a car accident in the state must remain at the scene of that crash until cleared by responding officials, like police officers. There are very limited exceptions to this rule and usually the exceptions apply only the instance of a medical emergency so the vast majority of drivers that choose to leave the scene are guilty of a crime. The type of crime and the level of the offense may vary depending on the circumstances surrounding a collision but can be severe.

The public knows that there are some consequences to drivers who flee the scene of an accident and later are apprehended but far fewer people realize how these collisions impact victims. If you are involved in a crash with a fleeing motorist, for example, do you know your rights? Do you know how to proceed so that your interests are protected? If you are like a typical resident of Maricopa County, odds are that you may have questions, especially if you have never been the victim of an accident.

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Everyone who drives a car, truck, or van uses the same roads in the country and therefore everyone must follow all laws that govern driving. Failing to do so may place others at an unreasonably high risk for being involved in a car accident, an event that often causes harm in the form of personal injuries, damage to property, or even death among those who are involved.

Traffic rules vary among the states but there are many constants among them. One such universal law tends to be the requirement that those who are involved in collisions remain at the scene of the crash until cleared by local authorities. Failing to stay at the scene is often called a hit-and-run and in most jurisdictions, it is a crime.
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What protects you from the actions of other motorists on the roads of Phoenix? While there are a slew of laws that are designed to promote public safety and to hold those who act negligently responsible for their conduct, these laws fail to prevent more than 100,000 car accidents that happen in Arizona every year. In a large number of these collisions, one or more people involved sustains injuries or may even lose their lives due to the actions of someone else. In short, though there are laws in place, if another driver fails to act responsibly, there may be little to prevent you from becoming a victim.

Annually, the Arizona Department of Transportation compiles statistics about the car accidents that take place on the roads of the state. Based on these records, there were 12,324 hit-and-run car accidents in 2014 of which 2,424 caused injuries and 45 proved to be fatal. The number of people injured in hit-and-run accidents was reported as 3,163 but this number likely is low as it does not account for any injuries that may be incurred by a fleeing driver or the passengers in that driver’s vehicle.
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What do you do if you are involved in a car accident? If you live in Arizona, the law is clear: you must remain at the scene to speak with police officers except in very limited circumstances. Failing to stay at the scene of a crash may trigger charges in addition to any the driver otherwise would have faced, like speeding, because of the inherent dangers of fleeing the scene. When a car accident happens and a victim is hurt, that victim’s best chance of obtaining the medical help needed is to have someone call for assistance as soon as possible. If the other driver involved fails to help by staying at the scene, medical treatment may be delayed and may lead to worsening injuries. Further, fleeing the scene makes it difficult for police to investigate a collision and to do so in an efficient manner. Greater time and resources are needed leading to a greater financial burden on the public. When police are busy chasing fleeing suspects, they are unable to respond to other calls for help, leading to an even greater threat to those who call Phoenix home.

These hit-and-run accidents can have different results to the victims who are injured but the legal implications do not change. Victims who are hurt are entitled to seek compensation for their damages regardless of whether an at-fault, fleeing driver was apprehended or even identified. In fact, multiple claims may be possible to ensure that a victim gets fully compensated and these claims can exist against a hit-and-run driver, the owner of a fleeing car, the victim’s own insurance company, and others, depending on the facts of the collision. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Phoenix or the areas of Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Scottsdale, or Glendale may help you understand your legal options if an accident has affected your life or injured your loved one.

At approximately 3:00 this morning, police in Phoenix were alerted to a collision between a car and a pedestrian near the intersection of 27th Avenue and Camelback Road. The crash happened on 27th Avenue and allegedly involved a pedestrian who may have been seated in the middle of the road. One vehicle approached the area and was able to avoid the pedestrian but a second car stuck the walker, whose name and age have not been disclosed. Despite the response by emergency officials, the pedestrian was killed in the accident.

The driver of the second vehicle failed to stay at the scene but rather fled on 27th Avenue without speaking to police or checking on the condition of the victim. Police are looking for the driver at this time and encourage anyone with information to contact them on this matter. Officers are investigating the incident and have spoken with at least one eye witness but they have not made any conclusive determinations at this time.
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Car accidents in Arizona are responsible for thousands of injuries every year. Many of those who are harmed are injured due in no part to their own actions but rather to the negligent or reckless conduct of other drivers. These victims may be left with mounting medical bills and with no means to pay the expenses they incur due to a crash.

But the laws of Arizona aim to hold responsible driver liable for their actions, including the injuries they cause. To make this possible, the victims of a car crash are often entitled to seek a financial recovery for their losses through the use of a civil claim. These claims are available to victims regardless of whether an at-fault driver receives a traffic ticket in the accident and they are also may be available even if an at-fault driver cannot be identified or did not have insurance. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer can help you understand the legal implications of a crash, including your rights to seek relief, if you have been injured.

Early this morning, a two vehicle collision occurred on northbound I-17 in Phoenix near 7th Street. Early reports indicate that a Toyota pulled over to the side of the expressway and that a man in his 30’s exited the car to examine something under the hood. The man reportedly returned to his vehicle before a truck approached and struck the rear of the Toyota.

Officials say the truck was driven by a 25-year-old man who stopped his vehicle and initially approached the two occupants of the Toyota, the man and a woman in her 30’s. The second driver spoke to the occupants of the Toyota for a moment and then allegedly ran away from the scene on foot, leaving the truck behind at the site of the crash. Police responded to the scene to evaluate the accident and emergency medical personnel tended to the two Toyota occupants. The man sustained injuries described as minor but the woman was seriously injured and was taken by ambulance to an area hospital for treatment. Her current status is unknown.

According to officials, the 25-year-old driver of the truck was apprehended shortly after the collision when police noticed him standing near an intersection by the scene of the crash. It is not clear whether the man has been charged in connection with the collision but officials are looking into whether impairment played a role in the crash. Traffic in the area was diverted for some time as authorities investigated and cleared debris.
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The greater Phoenix are experiences more hit-and-run accidents every year than most residents realize. In 2013 alone, there were 11,679 hit-and-run collisions in Arizona – nearly 11 percent of all traffic-related incidents across the state.

The reasons given by fleeing drivers vary but often share some of the same themes. Some running drivers claim they were afraid of the punishment that might result if they remained at the scene. Other drivers are under the influence of alcohol or drugs and flee so that their intoxication cannot be proved. Yet in other instances, drivers claim ignorance and state they did not realize they were involved in a collision.

The victims of these crashes may be entitled to relief if they sustain injuries, regardless of whether the at-fault driver is apprehended. Arizona laws entitle car accident victims to seek compensation against those responsible for an accident, and if the responsible driver flees and cannot be identified, the victim may be able to seek relief against his or her own insurance company. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer who has experience representing accident victims may help you understand whether you have a valid claim for your injuries if you have been injured in a collision.

Tempe police have reached out to the public to ask for their assistance regarding a hit-and-run crash on Monday night. Officials say a man was walking his bicycle on the north side of Broadway Road around 9:00 p.m. against traffic. According to the victim and eyewitnesses, a car in the area appeared like it was going to pass the pedestrian without issue but then veered at the walker, colliding with him and causing a crash. The driver of the car fled the scene and has not yet been identified.

Police believe that the vehicle involved was possibly a Dodge Stratus or a Chrysler Sebring manufactured between 2001 and 2006. An exact color is not known but witnesses describe the vehicle as dark. It may also have some damage from the collision. Anyone with information regarding the accident or the suspected driver is asked to call the Tempe Police Department.
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It has always been against the law in Arizona to leave the scene of a car accident without being cleared by police or other officials first. These laws are designed to hold drivers responsible when they cause collisions but they are also designed to promote safety. In the event that the driver or a passenger involved in a crash is unable to call for help themselves, others involved in the collision may be able to do so, speeding up a potential response time and decreasing the odds of death or permanent injury.

Yet in the eyes of many, the laws as they existed were not strong enough to properly punish those involved in hit-and-run accidents. Drivers who fled the scene may have received a range of punishments based on the charges brought against them, if any. Starting Thursday, that is changing as a new law in Arizona takes effect.

Known as “Joey’s Law,” the new law will make it a felony if a driver fails to stop after an accident where someone is hurt and that driver was involved in the crash. This charge can lead to serious time behind bars as well as other forms of punishment, including substance abuse treatment if a driver is found to be under the influence at the time of the impact.

These changes to the criminal and traffic penalties facing hit-and-run drivers are not the only punishment that may result, though. Victims of these crashes will still be entitled to seek financial relief for their damages regardless of what citations, if any, a hit-and-run driver receives. That is because the right to pursue a recovery belongs to a victim and is the victim’s to bring. These claims can seek compensation for lost wages, medical and surgical expenses, pain and suffering, and even loss of a normal life, depending on the facts surrounding an individual crash. Speaking with a lawyer who has experience representing hit-and-run accident victims in Phoenix may help you understand your legal options if you have been involved in a collision.
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The laws in Phoenix and the rest of Arizona require drivers who are involved in accidents to remain at the scene of the crash until authorities have had the opportunity to respond. Those drivers that do not remain face the possibility of additional charges which can lead to fines, a suspended license, or even incarceration in the event the driver is convicted. These charges are often in addition to others that would have been brought on their own had the driver remained at the scene, including offenses like running a red light or speeding.

Hit and run accidents in Phoenix often leave a motorist or pedestrian injured and in need of medical care. If no one but the fleeing driver witnesses the accident, the victim may be left unable to call for help or assistance, and delays in treatment can exacerbate injuries or even cause death. That is one of the reasons motorists are legally required to stay at the scene of an accident until cleared by police.

Police in Mesa have reported a fatal accident that occurred between a pickup truck and a man riding a scooter near a local Jack in the Box restaurant. The crash occurred near Alma School and University and authorities believe that a 15-year-old male was behind the wheel of the truck. The 15-year-old, who did not have a license, attempted to turn into the restaurant’s parking lot where a 22-year-old man on a scooter was present. The teen did have a learner’s permit and was driving with a friend in the truck when a collision occurred with the scooter, fatally injuring the 22-year-old man aboard the bike. Police have further reported that following the impact, the driver of the truck fled the scene and returned to his home.

Witnesses to the collision took note of the driver and the truck’s descriptions and presented it to the police who used the information to locate the suspect at his home. Information about any pending charges against the teen are not currently known.
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According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, there were 11,762 hit-and-run accidents in 2012 alone. This means that 11,762 drivers were involved in a collision with another car, a motorcycle, a bicycle, a pedestrian, or even a fixed object and yet they failed to stay at the scene of the crash to speak with police or other officials. Through these hit-and-run collisions, at least 3,112 people were injured and 37 people were killed.

Drivers who flee the scene of an accident are not only breaking state and local laws but they are also risking the health and safety of the victims of those collisions. After an accident, a victim may be unconscious or unable to move freely, potentially limiting or eliminating that victim’s ability to call for help. Sometimes, the driver fleeing the scene is the only one involved that is capable of requesting help but for some reason, the driver does not do so and leaves the accident. This can prevent medical personnel from responding to victims or delay a response, potentially worsening a victim’s injuries or even leading to death.

The risks associated with a hit-and-run crash are so serious that being involved in one can lead to significant charges, even if the fleeing driver was not responsible for the original collision. On top of any criminal or traffic charges brought against that driver, there exists the possibility that the victims of a crash will bring a civil claim for their damages which lets victims seek compensation from an at-fault party. Speaking with an injury lawyer is the best way to learn about your legal rights following an accident.

Sheriff’s deputies in Yuma County responded to a fatal collision on Sunday that involved a fleeing automobile and a pedestrian. According to authorities, an SUV was traveling along Highway 95 when the driver came upon a pedestrian walking on the side of the highway. For reasons that are not yet known, the SUV struck the pedestrian, causing a serious collision that left the pedestrian dead. The driver of the SUV fled the scene.
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Police are still investigating a Tuesday evening crash between a car and a 12-year-old boy on a bicycle, leaving the child with critical injuries. Police say that just before 8:00 p.m. that evening, the boy rode his bicycle with several friends near 45th Avenue and Olive in Glendale when a silver sedan approached the boy and struck him while the boy was within a crosswalk.

Friends of the 12-year-old and witnesses say the driver of the car, a blonde white male, never slowed down before the impact and fled the scene after the crash. These same witnesses have reported that the drive of the car appeared to be on his cell phone at the time of the impact and that after he struck the boy, he still did not slow down and left the scene at full speed.

Police were called to the scene of the crash and the boy was transported by air ambulance to Phoenix Children’s Hospital that night, where he continues to receive treatment today. He is described by his aunt as having sustained head, stomach, and leg injuries in the crash. Though he was initially intubated, the same aunt says he is now breathing on his own and that the boy’s condition is improving.

By all accounts, this young boy is lucky to have survived the crash. Early reports indicate that the boy was obeying all relevant traffic laws and was in a crosswalk as he was supposed to be when he was hurt. It appears that the cause of the collision was the negligence of a driver who was distracted, possibly by a cell phone, and failed to notice the boy on his bicycle.

Arizona law holds a negligent driver responsible for any injuries that driver causes, even if those injuries are to a pedestrian or a bicyclist. The law may impose criminal and traffic penalties which can include fines, suspension or loss of a driver’s license, community service, or even incarceration. But the penalties imposed by the state are not all that a negligent driver may face.

In addition to criminal and traffic violations, the negligent driver may find himself faced with a civil lawsuit brought on behalf of his victim. This can include a claim for any damages suffered by the victim or his family, including medical bills. Arizona law makes a driver liable for the medical, surgical, and physical therapy bills of his victim when the driver is negligent or reckless and causes injuries.
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