The driver accused of causing a car accident in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, last week and then leaving the scene was later found by police, who took him to jail shortly thereafter. He was arraigned Friday on charges of hit-and-run.
The accident happened about 4 p.m. the previous day in Collingdale. A 32-year-old man was attempting to cross a five-corner intersection on foot when he was struck by a Pontiac Bonneville. Witnesses said the car left the scene without stopping. Two women stopped their cars to block traffic and help the man, who was clearly injured. He was then taken to a hospital.
Another witness followed the car that hit the man and took down its license plate number. She also pulled up next to the driver and told him to return to the scene, according to police. The chief of the Collingdale Police Department said the driver replied with an unsavory comment telling her where to go.
But later that night, police tracked down a woman who was suspected to be a passenger in the man’s car. After questioning her, they found the owner of the car, who said her son had the car at work. Her son, who had loaned the car to a friend, gave police the friend’s name after hearing about the accident. He was in jail by 11 p.m.
The intersection where the victim was hit is a tricky one for pedestrians because there are so many cars coming from all directions. A high school student died in 2010 after being hit there. But drivers who hit pedestrians are expected to stop and render aid. If there hadn’t been so many witnesses rushing to help the victim in this case, the consequences of the accident could have been much worse. As things stand, the man who was hit may choose to file a personal injury lawsuit against the driver, whether or not he’s found guilty of the hit-and-run charges.
Source: The Daily Times, “Sharon Hill Man Seriously Injured in Collingdale Hit and Run,” Timothy Logue, April 5, 2012