Freeway Accident Involves Three Vehicles, and One Driver Flees the Scene
A three-vehicle injury accident in Sacramento on April 4 also involved a hit-and-run. The collision occurred along westbound U.S. 50 just west of the Howe Avenue off-ramp around 8:33 a.m. Officers with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) reported that a GMC pickup, Chevy Avalanche and minivan were involved. At least one of the vehicles was blocking the number one lane following the collision.
Injury Accident Being Investigated to Determine Cause
One of the drivers in the accident apparently left the scene after emptying items out of the vehicle. However, a witness to the collision speculated that items may have flown out of the vehicle, and that was the cause of the accident. Emergency medical responders with the Sacramento Fire Department arrived to assess injuries, but no additional information was provided. Police reported the accident as a hit-and-run with injuries and are seeking the fleeing driver.
Why Do Drivers Commit a Hit-and-Run?
Most people have noticed that hit-and-run accidents have become more common across the country. Although there are many reasons a driver decides to flee the scene of an accident, the following are the most common:
- The driver has no license or car insurance or they have expired
- A warrant is out for the driver, or they have unpaid traffic tickets
- The driver is transporting drugs or other illegal items
- The motorist has been drinking and doesn’t want to get caught
- The driver just panics and leaves
Ways a Hit-and-Run Driver Can Be Found
Our law firm has a good track record of locating a hit-and-run driver. We do this by investigating the case and collecting the evidence needed to support our client’s injury compensation claim. Some of the areas where evidence is gathered to locate the driver and vehicle are:
- Upon arriving at the accident site, our investigators begin collecting evidence. In addition to taking photographs, they examine the scene for pieces of metal and paint thrown off the fleeing vehicle, which can help identify the car or truck.
- Traffic surveillance cameras are inspected to determine if the hit-and-run accident was captured on film.
- Investigators verify the accuracy of the police report. Mistakes can jeopardize the client’s claim.
- Accident reconstruction can reveal who caused the collision.
- An investigation will be conducted to find out if there were any witnesses to the accident. The vehicle that fled the scene is often identified or described by witnesses. The driver may even be identified in some cases. One last possibility is that a witness may have captured the accident on their cell phone.
Evidence gathered by the investigators can be used by injury attorneys to build a case and serves as evidence that supports our clients’ compensation claims.
Insurance Can Be Used to Cover the Cost of Accident Injuries
Although the at-fault driver may be located, he or she may not be able to compensate the injured party and may be uninsured. An injured party may be able to obtain compensation through their uninsured/underinsured coverage in those cases. Auto insurance in California offers this coverage to all policyholders as an add-on. Another alternative is to use an immediate family member’s policy if the injured person does not have one. In such cases, the monthly premiums do not change.
Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer
I am Ed Smith, a Sacramento car accident lawyer. Get in touch with our injury lawyers for free and friendly advice to find out if you can place a claim for compensation if a negligent driver caused your accident. Call (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400. We can also be contacted online.
It is an honor for us to be members of the following associations:
Our injury lawyers work hard to recover compensation for our clients, as you can see at the following links:
Photo attribution: Image by Vladyslav Topyekha from Pixabay
:cd llo [681]