A driver who hit an 8-year-old girl and fled the scene of a crash has been arrested and is being held in lieu of bail in Chicago, according to local police. The driver has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident that caused injury and failure to exercise due care to a pedestrian.
The collision occurred near West 47th Street and South Indiana Avenue in Chicago. The young girl was crossing the street with an adult and several children when the driver, a 36-year-old male, allegedly sped from a green light and hit the child. The impact threw the girl on the hood of the car where she rolled several times before landing on the windshield and then being thrown to the ground, according to an eye witness. The witness said the girl landed on her head when she hit the pavement and that the driver fled the scene without even slowing down after the crash.
Police happened to be in the area and heard the impact of the collision while they were driving on 47th Street. The driver of the car passed the police in a Geo Prism and driving at a high rate of speed, according to the officers, and witnesses later identified the driver as the one who struck the 8-year-old girl.
Officers took the man into custody where bail was set at $75,000. The man currently is being held in lieu of that bail and is awaiting further court proceedings. The girl who was hit was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital and is in stable condition after sustaining blunt force trauma to her body, including her head. The extent of her injuries and what type of medical treatment she required are not yet known.
Drivers flee the scene of accidents for a number of reasons and it is often difficult to determine why a driver leaves. But leaving the scene is never a good idea because police officers routinely determine who the driver was and then the charges against that driver will be much greater after fleeing. In Illinois, leaving the scene of an accident that causes injury or death can be a felony violation with a potential sentence in prison at stake. This charge generally is brought in addition to any other charges that may be applicable, like speeding, running a red light, or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Hit-and-run drivers are dangerous to society as a whole. In some cases, an accident may not even be the fault of the fleeing driver but by failing to stay at the scene, the consequences of a crash can compound. If a pedestrian, bicyclists, driver or passenger in a car are too injured to call for help themselves and if the other driver flees the scene, the needed medical attention will be delayed or may not come at all. Statistically this drastically increases the changes that a victim will die or suffer permanent damage after a crash where simply calling 911 would make this outcome less likely.
Unfortunately victims cannot control whether a driver flees the scene or remains to speak with police and provide help. Regardless of the actions of another driver, though, a victim of a hit-and-run collision may have a claim for their injuries, including any medical expenses they incurred. This is true whether or not the driver has been located and whether or not the at-fault driver was issued any traffic tickets.
If you have been injured in an accident, call the Chicago hit-and-run attorneys at Abels & Annes, P.C. today for a no obligation telephone consultation. The consultation is free and we have a lawyer available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so please call us now at (312) 924-7575 and let us help you get a recovery you deserve.
Prior Blog Entries:
Rollover Accident Kills Man in South Suburbs, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, published June 14, 2013.
Man Charged in Fatal Tinley Park DUI and Hit-And-Run Crash, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, published June 13, 2013.
Resources:
Man held on $75K after hit-and-run that injured girl, 8, by Geoff Ziezulewicz and Carlos Sadovi, Chicago Tribune, published June 16, 2013.