Driver leaves scene after fatally injuring pedestrian

The sudden anxiety that afflicts a person after they have had a traumatic experience, such as striking another vehicle or a pedestrian with their car, can produce all kinds of erratic behavior. In many cases, this behavior can create significant legal problems for the actor, as demonstrated by a recent pedestrian fatality in Salt Lake City.

The accident

According to police, a pedestrian was hit by a car at the intersection of U.S. 6 and Poplar Street in Helper. The affidavit submitted by an officer on the scene said that the victim may have been close to the fog line but was nevertheless outside the lane of travel.

The driver of the vehicle that struck the pedestrian did not stop at the scene of the accident as the law requires. Instead, she drove away. Police investigating the scene of the accident found fragments of a white vehicle. While the investigation was being conducted, police notice that a while Toyota with front end damage drove past the scene on U.S. 6. A trooper flagged down the vehicle and spotted vehicle fragments in the rear seat. The driver, a 28-year-old woman, was arrested and charged with failing to remain at the scene of an accident involving death, obstruction of justice, negligent homicide, marijuana possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a denied license.

Claim for damages

The family of the dead pedestrian may have a strong claim for damages resulting from a wrongful death. If the man has a wife and children, they have a very strong claim against the hit-and-run driver for loss of companionship and loss of financial support. Even if the man had no immediate family, any surviving parent or sibling may have a claim for damages. Anyone who has lost a loved one under similar circumstances may wish to consult an experienced accident lawyer for an evaluation of the evidence and an estimate of the likelihood of recovering damages.