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.
2054-55. Fairhaven, Mass. 29-year-old woman died and 38-year-old man med-flighted with serious injuries after being struck by an unidentified vehicle which fled the scene.
2056. San Marcos, Texas. Nov. 9. 22-year-old woman suffers non-life-threatening injuries when struck by a white or silver Dodge Charger which did not stop.
2057. La Crosse, Wisc. Nov. 7. 12-year-old boy suffers non-life-threatening injuries when struck by a maroon sedan which fled the scene.
2058. Fort Worth, Texas. Nov. 8. Man in his 50s killed after being struck by multiple vehicles, all but one of which fled the scene. The first vehicle was described by witnesses only as a red or maroon car whose driver did not stop.
2059. Fairfield, Ca. Nov. 10. 6-year-old child injured when struck by a newer model Lexus sport utility vehicle which left the scene without stopping.
2060. Southfield, Mich. Nov. 10. 61-year-old woman struck and killed by a gold Escalade which fled the scene.
2061. Burbank, Ca. Nov. 9. 67-year-old man struck and killed by a 2005 Nissan Quest which fled but was later found and impounded.
2062. North Miami Beach, Fla. Nov. 11. 15-year-old boy hospitalized after being struck by an older-model red Ford Mustang. “Surveillance video captured the moment when the victim and a friend were riding their bicycles and the teen was suddenly hit.”
2063. Statesville, NC. Nov. 11. 19-year-old man critically injured after being struck by a dark Jeep Wrangler which fled the scene three hours before the victim was found by the side of the road. The victim “was thrown about 11 feet off of the road into some tall grass and was not visible. A person who was in the area discovered the victim after hearing groans.”
Related stories:
From the killed-while-fleeing files:
A Pasco man was killed Wednesday after speeding away from the scene of a hit-and-run crash, rolling his truck and slamming into a power pole, authorities said.
Cory Savage, 35, died at the scene of the 1:30 p.m. wreck on Interstate 84 near Boardman, said Oregon State Police Trooper Mark Amos.
And I quote (I)…
The man Greeley police are looking for in a hit-and-run death is a University of Northern Colorado student, according to UNC online records. An arrest warrant is out for 25-year-old Joel Chairez-Munoz Jr., charging him with first-degree murder, five counts of attempted murder after deliberation and five counts of attempted murder with extreme indifference. Police said the suspect is also known as Joel Chairez. The charges stem from a weekend fight at a local bar that spilled into the street where five men were run down by the driver of car outside a nearby 7-Eleven.
And I quote (II)…
A man who allegedly drove away after striking three bicycle-riding Mormon missionaries in Texas, killing two of them, faces a felony charge, police say. The suspect surrendered at a border station in Progresso, Texas, the Deseret News of Salt Lake City reported. Texas Trooper Johnny Hernandez said the man is likely to be charged with failing to stop and give assistance.
And I quote (III)…
A local doctor charged in a deadly, bizarre hit and run accident has been formally charged in court. Dr. Mohammed Sarrafizadeh, 67, made his first appearance in court Wednesday afternoon. He is charged with vehicular homicide, and leaving the scene of an accident, in connection to Ramon Martinez-Limon’s death in June.
And I quote (IV)…
The Kentucky State Police report on what caused a school bus carrying 4th graders from Collegiate has now been released. State police are now saying a passing semi truck did hit the bus, causing it to lose control and roll over. The report classifies the incident as a two-car, hit-and-run accident.
And I quote (V)…
An empty spot at the dinner table that will be filled only by memories.
Three young sons who will grow up without their father’s counsel on cars, girls and life.
A widow forced to assume the roles of both father and mother, and to raise her family without the companionship of the man who was her soulmate and the love of her life.
Those are just some of the consequences of the choice that 48-year-old James O’Neill made to drink and drive on June 3, 2010, and wound up killing off-duty Danbury Police Officer Donald Hassiak as he bicycled to work on Route 7 in New Milford, Hassiak’s family said during O’Neill’s sentencing hearing in state Superior Court in Litchfield Thursday.
And I quote (VI)…
Based on evidence and witness statements, police said they believe that a maroon or burgundy Nissan Pathfinder made between 1987 and 1995 hit a tow-truck driver working alongside Md. Route 100 around 8:04 a.m. on Aug. 24.
And I quote (VII)…
SANTA ANA – A 23-year-old man was in custody today on suspicion of manslaughter and other felonies after allegedly killing a 2-year-old boy and injuring both his mother and sister in an alcohol-induced hit-and-run accident in Santa Ana.
The toddler was pronounced dead at UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange following the accident, which occurred near Fifth and North Bewley streets at 6:22 p.m. Wednesday, police said. The boy was swept under the sport utility vehicle while his mother and year-old sister went onto the hood before falling off, said Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.
And I quote (VIII)…
Police said they found the van abandoned a short time later with its windshield shattered as evidence of the incident. The driver had left his cellphone in the car and police said they were able to get in contact with him, urging him to turn himself in.
According to records, the driver’s license was suspended in 1988 and he hasn’t had one since then. Police said the driver also has serious health issues, including being legally deaf in both ears. Police said the man initially told them his van was missing because he had been carjacked, but then confessed he thought he had hit a dog and was scared to stop.
“He shouldn’t have been on the road,” Booth said. “He could have stopped. He could have come back to the scene, found out what happened.”
And I quote (IX)…
“I think any time we have a tragedy like this, we have to investigate whether there are things the city can do to make the area safer for pedestrians,” Dallas City Councilwoman Angela Hunt said this week. “What I’ve asked the city to do is look into exactly what happened and to make recommendations about how we can move forward in making the area safer. I think the challenge we’ve had in the past is the city has been focused on moving cars, not people, and we’re trying to refocus that.”
And I quote (XI)…
Kendall Jackson, the victim of a Monday night hit-and-run, has a simple message for local drivers. Watch out for pedestrians, and if you see someone in need of assistance, please stop and help.
And I quote (XII)…
DETROIT – Clinton Township police said two teens were seriously injured Friday night when a vehicle struck them on 15 Mile Road near Little Mack Avenue.
The victims were 19 and 20 years old. The 19-year-old female victim was in extremem critical condition with head trauma. The 20-year-old victim, a man, suffered serious injuries, but was in stable condition. Both were hospitalized saturday.
Police said the driver, a 38-year-old man, fled in the vehicle. Less than an hour after the hit and run, police arrested the man in connection with the incident.
And I quote (X)…
Caught, convicted, court appearance or car-on-car in … Los Angeles.; Greer, SC; Middle Smithfield Twp., Pa.; Houston, Texas; Hudson Valley, NY; Zanesville, Ohio; Wilkes-Barre, Pa.; Aurora, Ill.; Deerpark, NY; St. Albans, SC; Chapel Hill, NC; Milwaukee; Las Cruces, NM.
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.)