Sadly, many motorcycle accidents in Missouri are fatal. These accidents leave the victims more exposed to external injuries because those on a motorcycle do not have the same type of protection as people in an enclosed motor vehicle. Hit-and-run accidents are serious under any circumstances, but when a death is involved, the person deemed responsible may face both criminal and civil legal proceedings.
On a recent Saturday, a 44-year-old man was driving his motorcycle south on a local street in St. Charles when he was hit by a Jeep that was traveling west on another roadway. The driver of the jeep ran away on foot but surrendered to authorities the next day. The motorcycle driver was transported to the hospital. He died that day.
The 25-year-old man who fled on foot was charged with first degree involuntary manslaughter, and he was charged with a felony for leaving the scene of an accident. He was being held on a $50,000 cash bond. No court date regarding the criminal proceedings were reported.
A passenger on the motorcycle, an unidentified female, was taken to the hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Apart from criminal proceedings, hit-and-run accidents often result in Missouri wrongful death claims filed by the surviving families of deceased victims. In this tragedy, the deceased biker’s family is entitled to pursue such a claim in civil court, while the injured passenger has a similar right to commence a personal injury claim. If a conviction is secured in criminal court, proof that may be offered as evidence in any related civil court proceedings in order to establish negligence on the part of the driver of the Jeep.
Source: fox2now.com, “Hit and run driver turns himself in after fatal St. Charles motorcycle crash“, July 6, 2015
