When an individual in New Haven is involved in a car accident, their first instinct after the impact may be one of panic — particularly if the individual is the at-fault driver. It appears that one Connecticut man panicked when he hit a woman that was lying in the street and reacted by fleeing the scene of the car accident. Law enforcement found the body of a 24 year-old woman on an entrance ramp along route 9W.
After investigation, police have accused a 29-year-old Connecticut man of her death in this hit-and-run accident. Connecticut authorities report the man hit the woman and then left the scene, after which the woman died. While it remains unclear exactly why the woman was lying in the road, the man has been charged with her death under charges of felony leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. He was also charged with jumping bail on a separate drunk driving charge. He is currently in jail.
There could be grounds for a wrongful death claim in this scenario. This would mean that the woman’s family would have grounds for attempting to seek compensation for their loss and suffering due to this negligent driver’s actions.
Luckily, this deadly perpetrator was tracked down. However, not all perpetrators of hit-and-run accidents can be found. Just because an at-fault driver fled the scene does not mean that the victim could not garner compensation. In some situations a victim’s insurance will cover against such unforeseeable circumstances. Experienced legal counsel can assist in securing such compensation.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, “Conn man charged in NY woman’s hit-and-run death,” Associated Press, April 10, 2012
