A man driving a big rig in Vernon ran a red light and collided with a pickup truck carrying two men, which became trapped under the big rig. Rather than helping the trapped men, the big rig driver exited his vehicle, unhooked his trailer, and drove away from the scene of the crash. Sadly, the passenger died at the scene and the driver was transported to the hospital. There were several witnesses because the big rig driver was followed by drivers who had witnessed him leaving the scene of a minor crash earlier. Police are still seeking a person of interest in the case.
The news story about this crash can be found here.
Hit-and-run crashes are an epidemic in Southern California. Across the country, about 11% of car crashes are reported as hit-and-runs. In Los Angeles county, that number is 50%. 1 out of every 2 crashes in Southern California is a hit-and-run crash. There were more than 28,000 reported hit-and-runs in Los Angeles County last year. That’s more than one hit-and-run crash every 19 minutes. The numbers are simply staggering.
The hit-and-run rate has been high for many years. Read a 2012 in-depth report on hit-and-run crashes from LA Weekly here.
Some headway has been made into the fight against hit-and-run drivers. The California Highway Patrol has implemented so-called ‘Yellow Alerts’ to help identify hit-and-run drivers. Yellow alerts are similar to Amber Alerts and uses the informational signs on the freeways to display information about a suspected hit-and-run vehicle. It is not yet known how effective this tool has been.
Due to the risk of hit-and-run drivers in Southern California, The Law Office of Larry H. Parker strongly recommends uninsured motorist insurance coverage. This coverage will help protect you and your family in the event of serious injury caused by a hit-and-run driver that cannot be identified.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car crash, contact us today at (800) 333-0000. The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker has more than 35 years of experience in helping car accident victims. For more information, visit our website at larryhparker.com. We’ll fight for you!®
