An arrest has been made concerning a Pennsylvania hit-and-run accident that resulted in the death of a 69-year-old man and his dog. Bail was set for the individual arrested at $1 million. Prosecuting attorneys had charged him with an accident involving death or personal injury. However, charges may be upgraded.
The accident occurred on Sunday at 5:07 p.m. There apparently was surveillance video of the sedan involved in the accident, and police located the damaged vehicle close to the suspect’s home.
The driver had eight prior arrests with the majority involving drugs. This individual’s driving record reportedly indicated 11 motor vehicle suspensions. He was also driving with a suspended license at the time of this accident. The driver reported to authorities that he didn’t know what he had hit. He didn’t stay around to find out what did happen, he said, because of the status of his driver’s license.
A police superintendent apparently was not impressed with the driver’s version of the accident. “This is homicide,” this officer said. “You got a 4,000 pound vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed, killing somebody, and then leaving them lay on the highway without any stop.”
Such incidents of course affect other people. Victims killed in motor vehicle accidents often leave behind others that are financially or emotionally dependent upon them. The man killed in this hit-and-run accident left behind a wife and three children.
These individuals need and deserve compensation for their loss. While putting negligent drivers in jail could prevent them from again driving, family members suffering from the death of a loved one may still need to pay off expenses related to the accident. Personal injury attorneys will do what they can to help these people out.
Source: ABC Local News, “Suspect charged in fatal hit-and-run accident in Upper Darby,” Jan. 8, 2014