Missouri Man Arrested, Accused of Hit and Run in St. Louis Area
On behalf of Brown & Crouppen, P.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accident on Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Authorities are accusing a 52-year-old from the St. Louis, Missouri, suburbs of fleeing the scene of a car accident that fatally injured a 70-year-old woman on Jan. 26. The man could face up to four years in prison if convicted of leaving the scene of an accident involving injury.
According to police, the suspect was driving west in Town and Country around 7:40 p.m. as the victim, a St. Louis County resident, was coming from the other direction. The suspect’s SUV moved across the yellow line and into the eastbound lane, causing the two vehicles to collide head-on.
The victim died at the scene. The suspect appeared to suffer minor facial injuries, based on a photo provided by police.
The suspect tried to drive away, authorities charge, but his car died less than a mile away, causing him to escape the scene by foot. Town and Country police found his SUV near the accident site the next day. They quickly identified him as a person of interest and contacted relatives to try to convince him to speak to officers.
Whether he surrendered or police tracked him down, the suspect was arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter on Jan. 29. Authorities added the charge of hit and run involving injury the next day. The investigation into the accident is continuing, police said.
Hit and run not involving injury to a person or more than $1,000 worth of property damage is a misdemeanor in Missouri for first-time offenders. But leaving the scene of an accident where someone was hurt is a Class D felony carrying a sentence of up to four years in prison. It is also possible that the suspect will face a personal injury lawsuit from the family of the victim.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “Man charged with leaving scene of fatal crash,” Kim Bell, Jan. 30, 2012