Note: I’ll be posting on the site sporadically throughout August. Will play catch up with hit-and-run incidents between now and Labor Day intermittently.
An ongoing collection of unsolved hit-and-run cases, with a focus on car/pedestrian incidents, from across the country since Jan. ‘010. If you know something about any of these incidents, or one that I’ve missed, do the right thing and call the police, even anonymously.
4004-4015. Venice Beach, Cal. Aug. 3. 32-year-old woman killed and 11 others injured when struck by a vehicle that deliberately rode onto a boardwalk and fled the scene; driver later surrenders. (Video from Instagram of incident)
4016. Carnegie, Pa. Aug. 2. 53-year-old man dead after likely being struck by an unidentified vehicle which fled the scene.
4017. Glendale, Az. Aug. 1. 12-year-old boy injured when struck by a silver Buick Lacrosse which fled the scene.
4018. Allentown, Pa. Aug. 2. 40-year-old woman on bicycle injured when struck by a blue Ford pickup which fled the scene.
4019. Queens, NY. Aug. 2. 35-year-old man fatally struck by an unidentified vehicle which fled the scene, dumping his body more than a block away from the scene.
4020. Orem, Utah. Aug. 1. 32-year-old man on bicycle struck by a Toyota Sienna minivan which fled the scene.
4021. Barrow County, Ga. July 13. 51-year-old woman fatally struck by a late 80s, early 90s GM which fled the scene.
4022. Chicago, Ill. Aug. 2. Man in his 30s fatally struck by an unidentified vehicle which fled the scene.
4023. Leominister, Mass. Aug. 2. 33-year-old man fatally struck by a Jeep Commander which fled the scene.
Related stories:
And I quote (I)…
Wichita police said Friday that they had made three arrests in the fatal hit-and-run accident last month that left one man and a horse dead and injured a young boy.
After receiving a Crime Stoppers tip, police were able to locate the missing car, a Grand Marquis, on Wednesday in the 2900 block of North Coolidge. The arrests were made in the ensuing investigation.
Police arrested and booked George Childers, 26, on suspicion of leaving the scene of a fatal accident and felony obstruction of justice. Childers was the driver, but state records show his driver’s license was suspended at the time of the accident.
Elease Childers, 28, and Colleen Fisher, 19, were also arrested in connection with the case on suspicion of obstruction of justice charges.
And I quote (II)…
Angel Velasquez was a captain in Metro Police’s Explorer program, which teaches young people about law enforcement. He died on Aug. 1 when his motorcycle crashed on East Sahara Avenue. Velasquez, 19, slammed on his brakes to avoid hitting a Volkswagen that failed to stop at a stop sign. He crashed into the car and died from his injuries, according to the police report. Jvon Lawrence Williams, 29, was arrested that night on suspicion of hit-and-run and driving under the influence, police said.
And I quote (III)…
The unnamed driver met the case investigator on June 3 and was interviewed.
“They stated they were unaware that they had hit anything that night, and provided a written statement saying as much,” the officer wrote.
For Jones, who lived next to Deston and his family, the news broke her heart.
“A person taking somebody else’s life, regardless if you feel you didn’t know you actually hit something or somebody, you are still going to stop and check,” she said. “Anything, you never know. It hurts. It could have been one of my kids.”
And I quote (IV)…
A driver who struck and killed a man in a motorized wheelchair in Atlantic City last summer has been sentenced to five years in prison.
Leo Strazzeri of Galloway Township had pleaded guilty last month to a charge of leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Strazzeri had previously denied he was driving his car when it was involved in the hit-and-run accident that killed 45-year-old Daniel Tavarez in July 2012.
And I quote (V)…
Robert Sachs, the attorney who filed suit on behalf of the estate, said on Friday that “one reason for filing this lawsuit is to hold fully accountable all of those who served alcohol to an underage driver.”
“Nothing will ever bring this young woman young back to her parents, but in our community we cannot tolerate this type of behavior by bars and clubs without holding them fully accountable,” Sachs said.
“The death of Polina Kadiyska was a senseless tragedy,” he continued. “All of us in Philadelphia pay the price for the loss of such a talented dancer. Her future was limitless and we all share in the loss of this very talented ballerina. This is all the more tragic because it was caused by an underage, drunk driver.”
Caught, convicted, court appearance or car-on-car in … Denver, Colo.; Dushore, Pa.
More hit-and-run stories, including every volume of Hit-and-Run America (in reverse order), are accessible from this linked page. (The full Volume-by-Volume list will appear sporadically from now on.)