Pedestrian Accident on Roseville Road Takes the Life of Older Woman
A fatal hit-and-run occurred on December 17 when a woman was killed by a driver who fled the scene in North Highlands. The accident happened around 6:32 in the evening on Roseville Road northbound near Palm Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) police report. The Sacramento County Coroner was called to the scene to declare the woman, identified only as a 66-year-old, deceased.
Additional Information About the Fatal Hit-and-Run
No information was released about the driver or vehicle that struck the pedestrian in North Highlands. The accident is being investigated by the CHP to locate the fleeing driver and determine how the collision occurred.
Fleeing the Scene of an Accident
In California, fleeing the scene of an accident that results in injuries or a fatality will likely be charged as a felony when the driver is found. Around 2,000 people each year die as the result of a fatal hit-and-run around the country. Drivers flee for various reasons, including that they have no license or insurance, are drunk driving, or they just panic.
Losing a Loved One in a Catastrophic Accident
Losing a loved one in a catastrophic accident is one of the hardest things a family can face together. It deprives them of the love, companionship and safety the loved one provided. It also leaves them in shock that a family member has been taken away suddenly due to someone else’s negligent actions.
For many families, it often robs them of the financial safety net they had prior to the decedent’s death. This may leave them scrambling to pay household bills, funeral and burial expenses, and even the mortgage or rental payments. While we cannot ease the loss and pain you feel, there are ways that we can help.
A wrongful death claim is one of those measures. It holds the negligent party or doer of the intentional action responsible for the family’s monetary loss. Learn more about a wrongful death lawsuit in the video below:
Facts About a Wrongful Death Lawsuit
A wrongful death lawsuit holds the party responsible for your loved one’s death in civil court. It is not a criminal charge but can emanate from a manslaughter or murder case. The most famous example of this is when the family of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson filed a wrongful death lawsuit against O.J. despite him not being convicted in court.
Family Survivors Are Able to File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in a Fatal Hit-and-Run
The following surviving family members are able to file this type of lawsuit:
- The spouse of the decedent or the putative spouse
- Children of the decedent or adopted children
- Stepchildren of the decedent if they relied on the deceased for 50 percent of their support
- Parents of the decedent if half of their support came from the deceased
How to Help a Grieving Family
There are ways that other family members and close friends can help a grieving family. These include:
- Bringing prepared food to the family home or having it delivered helps in this time of tragedy.
- Offering to do household tasks or pick up groceries/prescriptions at the store may be helpful.
- Offering to drive family members to scheduled appointments or to the funeral parlor for end-of-life arrangements is appreciated.
- Remembering to stay in touch after the funeral and burial services helps more than you could imagine. This is a time when they might need you most of all.
How an Attorney Can Help
Your injury attorney can help by investigating the accident and filing a wrongful death suit. At our firm, we send our investigative team to the scene of the accident as soon as possible. In a fatal hit-and-run or one causing injuries, they comb the area for clues as to the identity of the driver. Our investigators talk to witnesses and obtain video footage of the accident as it happened. We also do accident reconstruction to determine the positioning of the vehicles.
While many fleeing drivers are apprehended, sometimes they are not. In this case, we help our clients obtain damages. We help them use their own uninsured/underinsured insurance policy to do this. If the person who died did not carry this add-on policy and another family member has it, they can use that. It does not increase the rates.
Sacramento Wrongful Death Lawyer
My name is Ed Smith, and I’m a Sacramento wrongful death lawyer. Call (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for my free, friendly advice if you’ve lost a loved one. You can also reach out to me online.
I’ve helped Sacramentans and residents of North Highlands with wrongful deaths, car accident injuries, and other traumatic events since 1982.
I’m pleased to mention my membership in the following organizations:
Learn more about my practice on the following pages:
Photo Attribution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9-lg0clbRM; https://pixabay.com/photos/candle-light-candlelight-flame-2038736/
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