New Hit-and-Run Legislation Awaits Gov. Signature
Hit and run car accidents continue to plague Texas law enforcement. In Travis County, there were three hit-and-run crashes in February alone, and two of them were fatal. The state legislature has recently taken up the issue in the hopes of lowering the number of hit-and-run car accident victims throughout the state.
New legislation is said to await only the governor’s signature. It addresses hit and run tragedies where the victim dies. Once enacted, leaving the scene of a fatal accident will be elevated to a second degree felony. The new law is intended to close a perceived loophole in current law. Under existing law, a drunk driver that flees the scene of a fatal crash may actually face lesser consequences than if they stayed and submitted to blood/alcohol testing.
Yet another hit and run crash occurred in Austin in early May. So far, Texas authorities have only the description of a white car with windows that may have been tinted as a lead to follow in the fatal car accident investigation. The victim, said to be in his 50s was attempting to cross a roadway a little bit after 10 p.m. when tragedy struck. The man was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
A Texas Personal Injury Lawyer can Help Win Financial Compensation from Hit and Run Accidents
Any pedestrian car accident that results in injuries or death is a tragedy. It is compounded when the driver flees the scene, leaving the victim to fend for their own injuries. The tougher Texas law may act as a deterrent, though victims — and the families of those that died — will continue to have the opportunity to turn to the Texas civil court system with demands for financial relief, based upon evidence that the injuries or deaths that occurred were caused by a negligent or reckless driver.
Source: kxan.com, “Man killed in North Austin hit-and-run,” Jackie Vega, May 8, 2013
