When an accident occurs, Missouri law enforcement officials hope to glean as much evidence as they can from the scene. This includes making preliminary judgments regarding whether any driver involved was impaired or somehow distracted at the time of the crash. This task is more complicated in hit-and-run accidents.
On a recent Saturday, police were able to locate and arrest a 21-year-old man believed to be responsible for a hit-and-run the night before. At approximately 9:15 p.m. the previous night, according to the authorities, he failed to stop at an intersection and slammed into the back of a vehicle driven by a 34-year-old Missouri man. That driver was already stopped for a red light. The younger driver then ran away from his vehicle and the crash scene.
Meanwhile, the victim suffered severe injuries to which he succumbed. The arraignment of the man believed responsible for the accident and subsequent death of the victim was scheduled for the Monday after the incident. The specific charges he will face were not specified.
It can be difficult for officials to ascertain all of the facts in hit-and-run accidents since the drivers suspected of causing these crashes may have time to eliminate certain evidence, such as an illegal blood alcohol level. However, it may still be possible to document the driver’s negligence without those facts in a wrongful death claim by relying upon evidence of negligence gathered from the accident scene and related investigative efforts. Successfully establishing negligence in a civil court proceeding could lead to a judgment for monetary damages sustained.
Source: fox4kc.com, “Independence Police ID fatal hit-and-run victim“, Megan Brilley and Jason M. Vaughn, March 29, 2015
