Pedestrian Accident Ends in Hit and Run
No one wants to begin a new year under tragic circumstances, especially when it involves a sudden death of a loved one caused by a motor vehicle accident. The tremendous sorrow associated with such an incident is often intensified when a pedestrian is killed. The members of a community in Texas recently faced such a tragedy together in the aftermath of a hit and run accident that remains under police investigation.
Just before midnight on a recent Monday, a resident in Eastern Travis County heard a loud noise outside. The neighbor called 911 after investigating further and witnessing a dark pickup truck driving away from a man who was lying on the ground. Responding officers were initially unable to identify the apparent victim, resulting in the need for the Medical Examiner to attempt identification by using his fingerprints.
A trooper involved in preliminary investigation said that the incident was the third hit and run accident assigned to him in three months’ time. He cautioned all motorists to slow down and pay closer attention to their surroundings. Authorities have published a phone number, along with a request that anyone with information about the accident call in to assist in the ongoing investigation.
Neighbors in the area said they were alarmed to be awoken to a street filled with police officers. Some noted that reckless driving is problematic in the area because there are no posted speed limit signs. One man stated that drivers often barrel through the neighborhood street at speeds in excess of 40 or 50 mph, thus placing pedestrians at great risk. When a hit and run accident occurs, Texas officers are often able to locate the vehicle and motorist involved, at which point surviving family members of a deceased victim may be able to file a wrongful death claim in court.
