For whatever reason, some Missouri drivers fail to remain at the scene of an accident. Fortunately, however, not all drivers in hit-and-run accidents manage to escape before law enforcement and other emergency personnel arrive. This was the case in a recent fatal accident in which the driver of the vehicle believed responsible attempted to get away but was stopped by a witness and held until police arrived.
Witnesses watched an SUV as it sped toward an intersection and failed to obey the stop sign there. As the vehicle traveled through the intersection, it slammed into a car. The SUV then continued on to careen into a building. The car finally came to rest a short distance from the intersection.
Witnesses rushed to the aide of the 59-year-old Missouri woman in the car that was hit, but when they approached her, it was obvious there was nothing they could do for her. In the meantime, the driver of the SUV attempted to flee the scene, but a postal worker who witnessed the crash chased the 18-year-old man down and returned him to the scene. When police arrived, they took the man into custody, but he was not taken to jail because he suffered injuries in the accident. He was taken to an area hospital, and at last report, he was in stable condition.
He will likely face criminal charges in connection with the crash. The family of the victim may also file a wrongful death claim against him, seeking damages they incurred as a result of the premature death of their loved one. A successfully litigated claim that proves the negligence of another caused or contributed to the death of their loved one could result in an award of damages that typically accrue from fatal hit-and-run accidents.
Source: stltoday.com, “Woman thrown from car, killed in violent St. Louis crash“, Denise Hollinshed, March 5, 2015
