Attorney
Washington, D.C. is a proud leader in many areas, but a study by AAA puts DC at the top of a dubious list. Washington, D.C. leads the country in the number of fatal hit-and-run accidents, according to a report at wmal.com.
In one out of every six car accidents in DC, drivers leave the scene of the accident. So far in 2011, there have been 24 hit-and-run accidents in the DC area. As a result, 18 people lost their lives in the accidents. According to AAA, there have been 465 deaths in the past 10 years stemming from DC car crashes. About one-fifth of the accident fatalities involved a hit-and-run driver.
Nationwide, about 40 percent of hit-and-run accidents involved alcohol, and one-third of the drivers had a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit for their state. A spokesperson for AAA commented that hit-and-run drivers injure pedestrians and cyclists and do not think twice about leaving the scene.
Recent accidents in the DC area involved one driver who struck a bicyclist and did not stop. The following morning, the driver’s husband found a bicycle stuck underneath the vehicle.
Have you witnessed or been a victim of a hit-and-run driver? If so, contact our dedicated team of attorneys today.
Koonz McKenney Johnson & DePaolis LLP
Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia Injury Attorneys