January 9, 2012--Moreno Valley, CA--a 62-year-old woman was hit by an unknown driver as she attempted to cross Heacock Street at Kernwood Drive on Wednesday.

The woman, whose identity has not yet been released, was taken to the hospital with broken bones and severe head trauma.  The driver fled the scene in a dark two-door Honda sedan, witnesses reported.  The driver was described as a Hispanic man.

Police are still investigating the accident and hope to locate the driver through tips from the public.  They have set up a tip line at 951-486-6900.  Anyone with information about the accident is urged to come forward.

My thoughts and prayers are with the victim and her family as she struggles to recover from this terrible accident.  I also hope that the driver of the car will be identified, or will come forward.

Accident Statistics

According to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, between 4,500 and 5,000 pedestrians are killed each year in pedestrian accidents with vehicles.  While pedestrian fatalities form only 12 percent of all roadway fatalities, 85 percent of all non-occupant deaths in motor vehicle accidents are pedestrians hit by cars.

Alcohol use by pedestrians is a major factor in pedestrian roadway accidents, accounting for 37 percent of such deaths.  About two-thirds of pedestrian accidents occur on urban roadways, and over 75 percent occur at non-intersections.  About twenty percent of all pedestrian fatalities involve hit-and-run accidents.

What Caused This Accident

By fleeing the scene, the driver is leaving much open to speculation.  While it may be "natural" to panic in such a situation, by perpetrating a hit-and-run, the driver loses the opportunity to give his side of the story and tell of mitigating circumstances.  Hit-and-run is, in and of itself, a serious criminal offense, whether the original accident was due to negligence or not.

As this woman was crossing the street during daylight hours at an intersection, the chances that the driver could plead "jaywalking" or some other behavior on the part of the pedestrian are small.  Still, without the driver’s testimony, police will be likely to assume that the driver was at fault, no matter what the circumstances actually were.

Liability Issues

The driver of the car may be liable for the damages caused in this Moreno Valley car accident, and he will certainly be held accountable for the hit-and-run when he is found.  Unlike liability, hit-and-run, or leaving the scene of an accident with injuries, is a matter for the criminal courts.

If the man was indeed negligent, he may be liable for the victim’s injuries.  If the car he was driving was given to him by someone else, that person may also be liable for the injuries caused by the Inland Empire car accident.