The way I figure, if you’re reading this site, you know that I was a hit-and-run victim Thanksgiving Weekend ’08 so I won’t belabor the point. (If that’s news to you, I’m ok, and you can read about it here).
In any event, I guess I can chalk it up to “traumatic brain injury,” this whole not-figuring-out-that-I-should-highlight-other-cases-for-a-year-or-so business. The noggin must be intact, though, since I finally did think to bring attention to what I consider a criminal, sociological and moral issue. People who leave the guy or gal they just hit with a car to die are the scourge of my earth. Hopefully, by bringing attention to their misdeeds, I can get the world to agree.
There are so many cases trickling into my inbox that I can’t do much more delving than to just direct you to the stories. For now. So here goes …
1. Henderson, Nev. Jan. 12 Green or teal Nissan Altima strikes 15-year-old skateboarder. Non-life-treatening injuries.
2. Midland, Texas. Jan. 21. Red pickup truck strikes motorcyclist. Non-life-threatening injuries. (Update: Arrest made after the fact.)
3. Phoenix, Az. Jan. 20. Pickup truck driven by alleged drunk driver fatally strikes an 8-year-old. Suspect caught shortly afterwards after crashing the vehicle nearby.
4. Erie, Pa. Jan. 14. Blue Dodge pickup fatally strikes 36-year-old. Vehicle found outside a residence, but registered owner Michael D. Averill refuses to talk to police.
5. Harriman, Tenn. 33-year-old woman found dead on the side of a road. Officials treating it as a hit-and-run. (Updated: Suspected truck located several days later.)
6. Santa Barbara, Ca. Gray or silver Chevy van strikes, kills 38-year-old man, 36-year-old woman. Police believe they know who was driving from sex-offender GPS tracking device.
7. Bridgeport, Conn. Jan. 21. Nineteen-year-old woman and 1-year-old child struck by gold car Connecticut plate with 2XY. Minor injuries.
8. DeKalb County, Ga. Jan. 22. Unknown vehicle strikes two school buses. No children hurt.
9. Manchester, NH. Jan. 22. Seventy-year-old man struck and killed by unidentified vehicle.
10. Catonsville, Md. Jan. 11. Twenty-nine-year-old man killed, four hospitalized after black Honda or Acura truck strikes them on I-695.
11. Indianapolis. Jan. 16. Yellow-and-white taxi critically injures man as he walks to Colts game.
12. Naperville, Ill. Jan. 23. 21-year-old man struck, injured by an older-model compact car, dark or silver in color.
13. El Paso, Texas. Jan. 22. 60-year-old woman struck and critically injured by a black or dark colored Chevrolet Silverado.
14. Buzzards Bay, Mass. Jan. 1. 17-year-old man struck by Ford Explorer and crushes him into guardrail.
15. Jenner Twp., Pa. Jan. 22. Man found lying in a roadside ditch, hit-and-run suspected.
16. Glendale, Ca. Jan. 1. Man killed when struck and thrown 70 feet by dark SUV.
17. Cleveland, Ohio. Jan. 24. One man killed, another injured after getting struck by two-wheel drive 1998 Ford F-150 pickup truck.
That’s all for now. Well, at least until the next Google Alert comes in with a litany of inhumane behavior.
If you live in any of those areas, though, take a look at the link. You might recognize something. And, if you do, call the police. It sucks not knowing who ran you over. Believe you me, it does.