Hit and Run

Will He Get Away With Hit-And-Run?

June 3, 2016 by Lee Hoffoss

Police have few clues after a serious hit-and-run crash killed a pedestrian in Lake Charles.

The wreck occurred in the early morning hours on Highway 14 near Prien Lake Road. According to police, a male pedestrian, whose name was not released, was walking toward a local convenience store when an unknown four-door vehicle struck him. The vehicle promptly fled the area; the pedestrian was later declared dead at the scene.

A Lake Charles Police Department spokesperson said that investigators hoped to use video surveillance from the scene to track down the vehicle. [Read more…] about Will He Get Away With Hit-And-Run?

Bicycle Rider Killed in Hit-And-Run Car Wreck in Louisiana

May 6, 2013 by Lee Hoffoss

Police in Shreveport are looking for the vehicle that ran down a bicycle rider. The Louisiana man was riding his bicycle down Southern Avenue on the evening of the hit-and-run car wreck. Anyone with information is being asked to contact the Shreveport Crime Stoppers by phone or on their website.
According to police, the attention of witnesses was piqued by the sound of squealing tires coming from the area of the accident. Those witnesses then saw what they believe to be a silver or gray pickup truck speeding away from the scene of the accident. No additional information about the pickup truck such as make or model is available. Police have not been able to locate a vehicle matching this description.
Emergency personnel transported the 71-year-old bicycle rider to an area hospital. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, the Louisiana man died as a result of the injuries he suffered. Police were unable to find any identification on the man and believe he may have been homeless.
Whether the man was homeless doesn’t negate the fact that someone ran him down and then ran away in order to avoid responsibility. Somewhere this man has a family that likely wants answers. The driver of the vehicle that hit him may end up facing both criminal and civil action as a result of this car wreck. This man’s family will be left with costs and damages that they would not have incurred had it not been for the bicycle rider’s untimely death, and the driver may be held responsible for paying them. Proof of negligence could provide the family with some sense of justice on behalf of the victim.

Louisiana Bicyclist Killed in Hit-and-Run Auto Accident

April 5, 2013 by Lee Hoffoss

Louisiana State Police troopers are investigating a hit-and-run that took place in the area of La. Highway 44. The victim was a bicycle rider that was left to die by the driver that caused this tragic bicycle vs. auto accident. Police haven’t yet been able to determine what kind of vehicle hit the bicyclist.
When the bicycle rider was struck, his body was thrown into a ditch on the side of the road. He was dead when the authorities arrived at the scene. The man was just 44 years old.
The Louisiana State Police believes that the vehicle that struck the man will most likely have sustained damage to the vehicle’s right side. Until they are able to locate the vehicle that hit the bicycle rider and its driver, the circumstances surrounding this man’s death will remain unsolved. As authorities struggle to locate the party responsible for his death, the victim’s family is left with many unanswered questions.
Families that have lost a loved one to a hit-and-run may end up feeling as if they will never achieve any justice on behalf of the victim. The family of someone that dies as the result of an auto accident retains the right to file a wrongful death claim against the party or parties deemed responsible for the accident. It is the responsibility of the family to provide sufficient evidence to the court that party deemed responsible was negligent and caused or contributed to the death of the victim. Having advice and assistance in a wrongful death claim could help to ensure that the family is awarded all of the costs and damages they are entitled to in addition to achieving a sense of justice for the family member they lost.

Louisiana Family Mourns Death After Hit-and-Run Auto Accident

September 13, 2012 by Lee Hoffoss

Even when a loved one dies of natural causes, it leaves a hole in the family’s life. Losing a loved one in an auto accident adds another dimension of grief since the loss is so sudden. One Louisiana family must deal with the sudden loss of a woman who was killed by a hit-and-run driver.
The woman and her fiancé were leaving the Gueydan Duck Festival on foot when they were both struck by a car. Both victims were taken to a local Louisiana hospital. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, the woman later died as a result of her injuries. Her fiancé is still in the hospital and has already had to undergo three separate surgeries to repair damage to his legs.
There is still no news of the vehicle that hit them. The woman’s fiancé is assuming that there should be significant damage to the vehicle after hitting two people. Authorities are asking for anyone to come forward who may have information about this tragic accident.
The family knows that finding the person who hit the woman and her fiancé won’t bring the woman back or heal her fiancé’s injuries, but it may provide them with a sense of closure. The family may want to be advised of their rights in connection with this auto accident so that when authorities find the driver, they have the information they need to file civil actions if they choose to do so. Any civil action they file may also be affected by the outcome of criminal charges, if any, and any conviction may be offered as evidence of liability in a related civil proceeding.

Louisiana Police Seek Driver in Hit-and-Run Car Wreck

September 6, 2012 by Lee Hoffoss

Most Louisiana drivers do the best they can to follow the rules of the road and remain vigilant while driving. After all, no one wants to have an accident, but when accidents do happen, most people are responsible enough to stop. However, that wasn’t the case with a recent hit-and-run car wreck that killed a man on a bicycle.
Louisiana State Police are trying to find the driver of a Mazda 626 that they believe struck the bicycle rider. Authorities say that the wreck occurred when the Mazda collided with the right front corner of the bicycle, knocking the man off. The bicycle rider was not wearing a helmet and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Mazda was found abandoned in a parking lot not far from the scene of the accident. The State Police Crime Lab is collecting evidence from the vehicle in an attempt to identify its driver. Meanwhile, investigators are piecing together the accident. State Police are asking anyone with information to contact them.
While the authorities do what they can to find the driver of the Mazda that was involved in this fatal car wreck, the bicycle rider’s family is left to deal with both his loss and uncertainty about what happened. When authorities find the driver of the Mazda, that driver will most likely be subject to criminal charges. What those charges will be is unknown at this time. In addition to criminal charges, the victim’s family retains the right to sue for wrongful death against any party whose negligence is deemed to have caused the fatality. Sadly, any attempt to prove the driver was negligent will not change what occurred, but a successful claim may provide the family with some sense of justice and restitution for monetary damages sustained.

Hit-and-Run Crash Leaves Lake Charles Man Dead

May 11, 2012 by Lee Hoffoss

Pedestrian accidents rarely end well. Cars are powerful machines, and often a human body is no match. Sadly, a Louisiana family is now grieving after a pedestrian was hit by a car and killed on Saturday.
Police say the fatal accident occurred in the early morning hours of May 5. For reasons unknown, a 35-year-old Lake Charles man was apparently lying on Louisiana Highway 3112 when he was struck by an oncoming car. Unfortunately, the driver of the car did not stay behind to attend to the injured pedestrian. Sadly, the pedestrian died from injuries sustained in the car accident.
Although police are not sure why the Lake Charles man was in the road at the time of the accident, drivers still have a responsibility to remain at a crash scene, should they ever be involved in one. While we don’t know the exact circumstances of this incident, it’s not unfathomable that this man could have received treatment and possibly lived had the driver stopped and called authorities. Now, however, this man’s family is left to wonder if something could have been done to save his life.
When faced with tragedy of this nature, it is important for Louisiana residents to know that they have legal rights. When death or serious injuries occur due to someone else’s negligence, it may be possible to seek compensation. While it may seem insensitive to talk about money at such a difficult time, a death in the family shouldn’t bring with it major economic hardships as well. Seeking compensation through a personal injury or wrongful death claim could result in monetary awards that can go toward hospital costs and funeral expenses, allowing families of victims to focus less on the financial aspect and more on helping one another through such a difficult time.