Lawless California tops list for highest fatal hit-and-run rate in the US
- California came in as the top state with the highest rate of fatal crashes involving a hit-and-run
- There have been nearly 2,000 fatal hit-and-run cases in the Golden State over the last four years, data shows
- Overall, about 10.48 percent of crashes in the state involved a hit-and-run, that is compared to a 6.3 percent rate across the nation
By Emma Richter For Dailymail.Com[1]
Published: 19:16, 15 January 2024 | Updated: 19:17, 15 January 2024
The lawless state of California[2] has topped the list for the highest rate of hit-and-run crashes involving a death in the US.
In the last four years, there have been nearly 2,000 fatal crashes in the Golden State involving a driver fleeing the area.
According to a study by Personal Injury Law Firm Suzuki Law Offices, more than one in 10 crashes in the state involved a hit-and-run. The study utilized data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration[3] from 2017 to 2021.
Overall, about 10.48 percent of crashes in the state involved a hit-and-run, compared to a 6.3 percent rate across the nation.
In California, the rate of fatal wrecks with a driver leaving was over 10 percent between 6pm and 6am - specifically, the rate was above 17 percent between 9pm and 10pm.
'This suggests most hit-and-runs happen because the driver wants to avoid detection and the consequences of their actions. But if you hit a pedestrian with a car and flee the scene, it could potentially endanger their life and lead to more serious legal implications,' the law firm said.
California came in at 10.48 percent with the highest amount of fatal crashes involving hit-and-runs in the US. Illinois, New Jersey, Alaska and Hawaii also made it into the top five
California has recorded that 1,901 of its 16,326 fatal crashes involved a hit-and run. Heavy traffic is seen during rush hour on Interstate 10 in downtown Los Angeles
Illinois came in second with 452 of 4,731 deadly crashes involving a hit-and-run. Cars are seen on the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago
California was found to have 16,326 fatal crashes, with 1,901 of them involving hit-and-runs.
Recent data from the California Office of Traffic Safety showed that deadly hit-and-runs went up by nearly 3.5 percent from 2021 to 2022.
Trailing behind came Illinois, with 452 of 4,731 deadly crashes involving a hit-and-run.
Ranked at No.
2, Illinois came in at a rate of 8.72 percent in deadly crashes.
In third was New Jersey with a rate of 8.5 percent as 243 of 2,614 fatal crashes had a driver who fled.
Alaska and Hawaii tied at an overall rate of 8.49 percent, but out of 291 fatal crashes in Alaska, 27 had a hit-and-run.
In Hawaii, 41 out of 442 deadly crashes involved a hit-and-run.
In third came New Jersey with a rate of 8.5 percent as 243 of 2,614 of fatal crashes involved a hit-and-run.
Cars are seen driving along Atlantic Avenue in Atlantic City
On December 22, a hit-and-run suspect killed two young brothers in Antioch, California.
Arsenio Rabb, 12, and Amahje Emenike, 13, were on their way to a store with their father when they were hit by an SUV
Surveillance footage captured a hit-and-run incident that took place on November 9 as a white BMW sped toward a motorcyclist and killed them in Los Angeles
The other five states that made it into the top 10 were New Mexico, New York, Connecticut, Arizona and Texas.
On December 22, a hit-and-run suspect killed two young brothers[4] in Antioch - about 45 miles east of San Francisco.
Police responded to a reported traffic collision at an intersection around 11:30 pm, the Antioch Police Department said in a statement.
The two victims, Arsenio Rabb, 12, and Amahje Emenike, 13, were on their way to a store with their father when they were hit by an SUV at the intersection of West Sixth and G streets.
'It took my only about two seconds to feel, to really come to and get over the initial shock only to look to your right and see the whole right side of your car crush my babies,' the boy's father Amanze Emenike told NBC Bay Area[5].
The driver of the SUV fled on foot and has not been captured by police. Witnesses said that it was a gruesome scene and the boys were clearly in dire conditions when they found them.
On November 9, shocking footage has emerged of a hit-and-run that left a motorcyclist dead [6]when they were mowed down by a BMW driver in Los Angeles[7].
Surveillance video captured a Harley Davidson rider that was waiting to make a left turn out of a strip mall parking lot out of the 8600 block of North Woodley Avenue in North Hills around 6:40pm.
A white truck was then seen turning into the same car park, temporarily obstructing the view[8] of the biker. Once the white truck was cleared, the motorcyclist moved forward onto the road.
Adriana Sanchez, 50, was walking her two dogs around 6am in North Hills- a city in Los Angeles- when the vehicle hit them in the marked crosswalk before they fled the scene
But out of nowhere, a white BMW came speeding toward the motorcyclist as the two collided and sent pieces of their bike flying across the road.
Chunks of metal are seen strewn across the road's surface as the BMW kept driving and did not turn back to check on the condition of the driver they hit.
The Los Angeles Police Department received multiple calls about a three-vehicle crash in San Fernando Valley and have not identified a suspect or the victims involved in the case.Adriana Sanchez was hit as she walked across a marked crosswalk.She was then taken to the hospital.Sanchez's daughter Naomi Hidalgo was heartbroken and determined to find the driver responsible.'I still feel like it was a dream.
Like, she was the glue that held this whole family together,' Hidalgo told KTLA[9].
References
- ^ Emma Richter For Dailymail.Com (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ California (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (cdan.dot.gov)
- ^ hit-and-run suspect killed two young brothers (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ NBC Bay Area (www.nbcbayarea.com)
- ^ hit-and-run that left a motorcyclist dead (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Los Angeles (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ the view (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ KTLA (ktla.com)