Norfolk, Virginia (VA), police are seeking the public’s help with tracking down the driver of a vehicle believed to be a Toyota Camry who collided with three children in a crosswalk near Lafayette Park on the afternoon of September 6, 2014. The at-fault driver did not stop, even though the 5- and 11-year-old boys and 7-year-old girl suffered injuries serious enough to require treatment at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughter.
The hit-and-run collision occurred at the intersection of 38th and Granby streets. Anyone with information about the pedestrian accident or the driver who fled the scene is being urged to call 800-LOCK-U-UP.
Reports of the wreck indicate that the children who got hit and injured were acting safely by walking together, crossing at a corner and staying within the boundaries of the crosswalk. It is unknown if the driver was exceeding the speed limit, distracted or impaired by drugs or alcohol. Regardless of what caused the person to run into the youngsters, however, he or she cannot be excused for failing to stop and remain until police and emergency responders arrived.
Virginia law requires any driver involved in any kind of crash involving injuries to stop. It should be human instinct to want to offer help to someone you may have hurt, but too much evidence exists that a law criminalizing hit-and-run collisions is needed. As a Virginia Beach-based personal injury lawyer whose firm has helped my Norfolk residents hurt by drivers who ignored rules regarding pedestrians’ right of way in crosswalks and by drivers who initially ran from their responsibility to provide compensation, I also know firsthand that hit-and-run wrecks are among the most difficult for victims and their families.
Until the person who caused the wreck on Granby Street is identified and held accountable, I wish the hurt children and their parents the best in dealing with the aftermath, especially the insurance issues.
EJL