What makes a senseless accident criminal? In the case of a hit-and-run, it is primarily how a person behaves immediately following the accident that can make a person a hero or a criminal. In the case of a man from Newark whose vehicle struck a mother and daughter walking to school in West New York, even though he initially was alleged to stop and get out of the car briefly, his alleged failure to render aid or remain with the victims until help arrived resulted in his being held in jail and facing very serious charges.
The reasons governing why anybody would flee the scene of an accident may vary but are often not because of a fear of repercussions resulting from the injuries caused but are instead due to the legal state of the driver and their concern for themselves outweighing the concern for the injured person. For instance, was the driver fit to drive? Was the driver intoxicated? Perhaps the driver was distracted. In this case, the driver may have been fearful of repercussions based on his status of taking up occupancy illegally as a resident in the U.S. from Ecuador.
In this case, the suspect had a son the age of the girl he struck. The child was killed while her mother was injured and taken to a hospital for treatment. His attorney claims he is very remorseful and speculates that he may have run after seeing the fallen child and picturing his own child. The suspect’s wife was also arrested for her alleged part in washing the vehicle to remove evidence of the accident.
There is nothing that can take away the pain of the losses suffered by the inhumane negligence of a hit-and-run driver, but if you have been injured or have lost a loved one due to a driver that failed to stop and render aid, you may be able to hold them accountable. A New Jersey car accident attorney may be able to offer you valuable guidance in pursuing damages and handling insurance, the courts and the press.
Source: NJ.com, “Fatal hit-and-run driver ‘remorseful,’ lawyer says,” Steve Strunsky, March 6, 2016