Hit and Run Traffic Accidents Can Be Fatal
The Delaware auto accident attorneys of Silverman, McDonald & Friedman help accident victims get the help they need, when they have suffered a serious injury. You are welcome to contact us to meet with a member of our team in one of our offices, located in Seaford, Wilmington and Newark.
On August 21, in Wilmington, a 31-year-old man was struck and injured critically by a 2014 Jeep that was speeding westbound on Pennsylvania Avenue in a hit-and-run auto accident at Pennsylvania Avenue and North Broom Street. The driver of the Jeep fled the scene. The crash victim was transported to Christiana Hospital in Stanton where he died of his injuries a few days later. The Wilmington police report that they have found a “person of interest” in the collision and they are developing charges for the person believed to be responsible. In a story on Delawareonline.com, the police are asking for anyone with information about the early morning auto accident to call the Wilmington police department.
What exactly is a hit and run?
Hit and run accidents are a plague on our society that causes unnecessary injury and death and leaves the victims who survive with no recourse to obtain justice for their losses. A hit and run accident occurs when the driver of a vehicle that caused a crash fails to stop and identify themselves to the others involved in the accident. Fleeing the scene of an accident is the action of a coward, but unfortunately, it seems to be happening more and more. Interestingly, when a news reporter is reporting on a crash that caused serious injuries or death, they almost sound surprised when they say that the driver who caused the crash actually remained on the scene.
According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, about 11 percent of all police reported traffic crashes involve at least one driver who flees the scene. About 1,500 people die each year in hit and run crashes, and about 6 in 10 fatally injured victims are pedestrians.
What the law says
Delaware state law, (DE Code Title 21 section 4202) requires that the driver of any vehicle that is involved in a crash resulting in property damage to stop at the scene of the crash in such a way that does not obstruct traffic. The driver should find out if there were any injuries or fatalities and render aid to the injured, which includes the carrying of an injured person to a hospital, or by contacting law enforcement or emergency personnel and wait for their arrival.
The driver must give their name, address, the registration number of the vehicle, show their driver’s license to the other driver or drivers involved in the crash. The police will also want to see this information in addition to your car insurance information.
Failure to stop at the scene of a crash in Delaware has steep penalties if the feeling driver is ever apprehended including a fine that can range between $1,000 to $3,000 or 1 to two years in prison and the revocation of driving privileges for one year. If the crash results in a fatality, the at-fault driver who has fled the scene can be charged with a Class E felony which carries the penalty of not less than one year and the first six months of any sentence imposed shall not be suspended if they are apprehended. Their driver’s license can be revoked for two years. There are also fines for crashes that only result in property damage.
If you have been injured in an auto accident caused by a hit and run driver, or if you have lost a loved one in an accident caused by a driver who fled the scene of the crash, we are ready to help you. At the law offices of Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, our auto accident attorneys in Newark, Seaford, Wilmington help people throughout Delaware who have suffered an injury or who have lost a loved one in an accident caused by the negligence of another. Please call us at 302.414.5553 or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation to discuss your injury case with an experienced auto accident lawyer.
Attorney Jeffrey S. Friedman joined Silverman, McDonald & Friedman in 2001. He graduated from Widener University School of Law, and is admitted to practice law in Delaware and Pennsylvania, and in several Federal Circuit courts. He areas of concentration include auto accident and workers’ compensation cases. Read more about Attorney Friedman here.