A hit-and-run crash in Norfolk, Virginia (VA), left a moped rider dead. The apparent head-on collision happened just before 12:30 pm on Dec. 21, 2017.
Norfolk Police and fire rescue crews responded to the report of the incident in the 300 block of E. Princess Anne Road. Several other drivers and pedestrians witnessed the wreck in the residential area between Salter Street and Monticello Avenue, so authorities compiled a good description of the fleeing vehicle as a blue SUV or minivan with heavy front-end damage. They also know the driver who fled the scene took off down Armistead Avenue. Anyone who sees a vehicle matching the description should call 911 or (888) LOCK-U-UP (5562-5887).
Where this fatal crash happened, E. Princess Anne is a two-lane road divided by a double yellow line. The driver of the larger vehicle may have left his or lane improperly, but the larger problem is that the driver refused to stop and provide first aid to the moped rider.
Section 46.2-894 of the Virginia Code states, with emphasis added,
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. The driver shall also render reasonable assistance to any person injured in such accident, including taking such injured person to a physician, surgeon, or hospital if it is apparent that medical treatment is necessary or is requested by the injured person.
The moped driver struck in Downtown Norfolk did initially survive the collision, but he succumbed to his injuries shortly after arriving at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. This means the hit-and-run driver could be charged with a felony offense.
Identifying the fleeing driver also matters for allowing the family of the deceased moped rider to file wrongful death insurance claims. While Virginia requires licensed drivers to carry uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage in case a hit-and-run harms them, the only real justice will come from making the driver who fled the scene bear the financial consequences of his or her deadly actions.
As the search for the driver involved in this fatal moped crash in Norfolk continues, grieving family members could benefit from consulting with a caring Virginia wrongful death attorney who can keep them up to date on the police investigation and help them deal with insurance company representatives.
EJL