Virginia State Police continue searching for a driver who fled the scene after causing a fatal pedestrian crash in Pittsylvania County. The deadly rear-end collision happened on U.S. 58/South Boston Road on the night of June 15, 2022.
Sheriff’s Office personnel also responded to the crash on the outskirts of Danville near where South Boston Road intersects with Route 734/Clarks Mill Road. A preliminary investigation revealed that a person driving a 2021 Honda Accord struck two women as they pushed their disabled Toyota CRV in the right lane.
One of the women suffered serious injuries in the rear-end collision, and authorities airlifted her to the hospital. The crash also killed Danville resident Lenise K. Snead.
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The driver of the Honda Accord fled on foot. Anyone who knows the identity of that person should call (540) 380-5700.
Never Flee the Scene
Until police take the hit-and-run driver into custody, no one can know why that individual rear-ended the women. We can know that Virginia state law requires drivers to slow down, stop or change lanes when approaching disabled vehicles. We also know that provisions of state law encourage, but do not require, people to offer assistance to motorists in distress.
Most of all, we know that any driver involved in a crash has a legal duty to stay on the scene. As explained on a Virginia Department of Transportation web page under the heading “Duty of driver to stop, etc., in event of accident involving injury or death or damage to attended property”:
The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident in which a person is killed or injured or in which an attended vehicle or other attended property is damaged shall immediately stop as close to the scene of the accident as possible without obstructing traffic, and report his name, address, driver’s license number and vehicle registration number forthwith to the state police or local law-enforcement agency, to the person struck and injured if such person appears to be capable of understanding and retaining the information, or to the driver or some other occupant of the vehicle collided with or to the custodian of other damaged property.
What Happens if the At-Fault Driver Remains Unidentified?
Assigning fault for this rear-end collision in Danville seems relatively easy. In all events, hit-and-run drivers rarely receive the benefit of doubt when questions over who caused a crash get asked. But how can the injured woman and the family of the woman who died receive compensation if the at-fault driver never gets arrested?
My Virginia personal injury and wrongful death law firm colleagues have seen many hit-and-run drivers found, charged and made to settle insurance claims. Failing that, victims of hit-and-run collisions in Virginia usually have access to uninsured motorist coverage through their own car insurance policies. State law mandates this coverage in all policies sold in the Virginia.
Invoking uninsured motorist coverage can be complicated. Still, it is often a welcome solution for people harmed by drivers who flee crash scenes.
EJL