Police in Durham, North Carolina (NC), continue searching for the driver of an SUV that struck and critically injured a pedestrian shortly before midnight on November 4, 2017. The hit-and-run collision happened at the intersection of Holloway Street and Hoover Road, with the victim appearing to have been in a crosswalk when the vehicle hit him.
Witnesses describe the vehicle involved as a white or gray Ford or Mercury from the mid-1990s. A North Carolina license plate reading PFT-7694 was also reported. Anyone who knows the identity or whereabouts of the driver who fled the scene in the Joyland section of Durham is being urged to call CrimeStoppers at (919) 683-1200.
Finding the hit-and-run driver is important for two reasons. First, the man or woman committed a felony offense under state law. Section 20-166 of the North Carolina General Statutes states, in part, that any driver who gets involved in a crash must “immediately stop his or her vehicle at the scene.” The subparagraph that is most relevant to this pedestrian crash on Holloway Street also requires providing assistance to victims and continues: “The driver shall remain with the vehicle at the scene of the crash until a law enforcement officer completes the investigation of the crash or authorizes the driver to leave and the vehicle to be removed, unless remaining at the scene places the driver or others at significant risk of injury.”
Remaining at the scene and rendering first aid can save a life or prevent lifelong disabilities. Statistics compiled by the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles show that in 2015, 195 pedestrians died in the state after being hit by a car or truck. In all, 2,380 reported wrecks involved pedestrians, and those collisions left 2,139 people injured.
The second reason to track down the hit-and-run driver in Durham is to hold the person financially accountable for severely injuring the pedestrian. While uninsured motorist provisions of the crash victim’s own insurance policy may provide coverage, justice dictates that the at-fault driver pay medical bills and monetary damages. No traffic accident victim should be made to bear all the costs of his or her own injuries and rehabilitation.
My Carolina personal injury law firm colleagues and I hope police can find the fleeing driver quickly. We also send our wishes for a full and rapid recovery for the pedestrian who was struck down and left to suffer at the intersection of Holloway Road and Hoover Street.
EJL