San Diego Criminal Lawyers Blog
While driving on her scooter, a 36-year old woman was hit by a car on October 3 in Mission Bay Park. The driver reportedly fled the scene after hitting the woman. The incident took place at approximately 1:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, when the woman was riding her scooter south on Ingraham Street. As she approached the Sunset Cliffs offramp, the San Diego Police Department says that a car attempted to pass her on the left. In doing so, the car hit her which caused her to lose control of her scooter.
According to Officer Robert Heims, the woman was ultimately ejected from her scooter after the collision. Authorities arrived on the scene and an ambulance was able to transport the woman to a local hospital. She was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and her injuries included a pelvic fracture, one broken tooth, and abrasions all over her body. Investigators were unable to secure any witness to the incident but did say that the driver was in a maroon sedan. Police are asking the public to call the San Diego Crime Stoppers with any information.
What is the Frequency of Hit-and-Run Incidents?
In 2016, the state of California had the most fatal hit-and-run incidents than any other state in the nation. That year, there were 337 hit-and-run accidents. Other states with high reports of hit-and-run crashes in 2016 included Texas at 233 and Florida at 206. Across the nation, there were just a bit over 2,000 deaths from hit-and-run incidents in 2016.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 5,977 pedestrians who lost their lives in traffic crashes in 2017. What this means is that in 2017, one pedestrian died in a traffic accident every 88 minutes. In addition to these deaths, 137,000 pedestrians received emergency treatment for their injuries related to traffic crashes in 2017.
Pedestrians are extremely vulnerable to serious injuries and death when they are involved in traffic accidents and are hit by vehicles. The CDC indicates that a pedestrian who is hit is 1.5 times more likely to die from their injuries than a car occupant would be when they are in a crash. When a driver crashes into a piece of property or another person, and they do not stop, provide their identification, and offer assistance when there are injuries as a result of the collision, then this is a hit-and-run accident.
California hit-and-run accidents can be charged as either felonies or misdemeanors, depending on the details of how the accident took place. Misdemeanor charges can either come with up to six months serving time in county jail and up to $1,000 of fines or up to one year in jail and at least $1,000 in fines or up to as high as $10,000 in fines. Felony charges are much more severe with up to four years served in state prison and a fine that is at minimum $1,000, but can also be upward of $10,000. All of these crimes have the potential to also require community service and/or probation after jail or prison sentences have been completed.
Speak with a San Diego Criminal Defense Attorney Today
David M. Boertje is a San Diego criminal defense attorney with extensive experience developing legal defense strategies against hit-and-run charges. Call David M. Boertje today to speak with an effective California criminal defense attorney at (619) 229-1870 for our San Diego office or (760) 476-0901 for our Carlsbad location.