San Diego Criminal Lawyers Blog
On Thursday, February 27, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department reported that an arrest was made in the hit-and-run case that occurred on Tuesday of that week. A driver hit a 12-year-old boy on a Vista-area street and then fled the scene. The driver was found and arrested in Oceanside at approximately 5:25 p.m. on Wednesday, the day after the pedestrian accident.
The suspect was found at the 3500 block of Windrift Way in Oceanside by deputies who were responding to a tip provided to them through the San Diego County Crime Stoppers hotline. When deputies arrived on the scene they found a 2016 white Toyota sedan that had visible front-end damage. Witnesses to the hit-and-run described similar damages to what deputies saw on the Toyota. After contacting the owner of the vehicle, deputies eventually arrested the person.
The driver was taken to the Vista Detention Facility and booked on suspicion of felony hit-and-run. The identity of the suspect has not been released by authorities.
The alleged hit-and-run accident inflicted serious injuries on the boy. The accident happened at the 1000 block of Mar Vista Drive on the border of Vista around 4:45 p.m. on February 25. After the deputies were called to the scene, an air ambulance took the boy to Rady Children’s Hospital for treatment. The boy suffered leg injuries and abrasions on his face as a result of the crash.
Authorities indicated that the boy was responsive and conscious when they arrived at the scene. Further information on the status of the boy’s health and injuries has not been released.
Are Pedestrian Accidents Common?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 2018 had the most pedestrian deaths on record at 6,283 since 1990. In 2017, there was one pedestrian killed in the United States every 88 minutes. The elderly and young children are at the most risk of pedestrian accidents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were nearly 129,000 pedestrians that sustained injuries after crashes which required treatment in emergency departments in 2015 alone.
What Should You do if Charged With a Hit-And-Run in San Diego?
There is no denying how terrifying and traumatic traffic accidents are. If you had the unfortunate experience of hitting a pedestrian while driving and in a panic, you fled the scene, you are in violation of the law in California. California law requires anyone involved in an accident in which property damages and or physical injuries occur to stay at the scene. Failure to do so can result in either a misdemeanor or felony criminal charges.
If only property damages are involved you are looking at a misdemeanor, but if there is bodily injury, the crime is now a felony. You need a San Diego hit-and-run defense lawyer as soon as possible to give you the best chance of staying out of jail after a hit-and-run accident.
The California criminal defense attorney David M. Boertje has extensive knowledge of criminal law in California and is seasoned in hit-and-run defense.
Call and schedule your free consultation with one of our Carlsbad criminal defense lawyers at the Law Offices of David M. Boertje today. We can be reached at (619) 229-1870 for our San Diego office or (760) 476-0901 for our Carlsbad location.