$5000 Reward Offered for Hit and Run Accident Information

Weeks after 21-year old Jonathan Michael Ulmer was killed in a hit and run accident, his family is now offering a $5,000 reward for help that can lead to the identification and arrest of the driver.

Ulmer was on his way home from a house party when the accident occurred. According to friends, although he was drinking beer, he was not drunk. He was left lying on the road after being struck on state Route 94 and witnesses claimed that the dark sedan which hit him stopped for a moment before driving off.

Authorities have scoured for information to determine the identity of the hit and run driver and even reviewed tapes from two nearby business but with little success. The Ulmer family is hoping the $5,000 reward will help locate the sedan which killed Jonathan which is said to have front-end damage.

Pedestrian deaths account for 12 percent of all motor vehicle crash fatalities. While pedestrian accidents can happen for a variety of reasons, accidents usually happen either due to the fault of the pedestrian or the driver.

Here are some of the most common mistakes made by pedestrians that lead to accidents:

• Ignoring traffic rules and signals – A lot of pedestrians disregard crosswalk signs and would prefer to “jaywalk” and ignore as traffic control signals such as “walk” and “don’t walk”. This leads to collisions that could have been avoided if the pedestrian obeyed traffic rules.
• Distracted pedestrians – There have been several instances when a pedestrian gets struck or hit by a car because instead of looking both ways before crossing, his eyes are firmly fixed on his cell phone.
• Intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol – Walking on the road while drunk is just as dangerous as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Once a person is impaired by these substances, it can cause impaired balance, poor coordination, and lower a person’s alertness and good judgment.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s statistics, as much as 53 percent of pedestrians aged 16 and older killed in nighttime (9pm - 6am) crashes in 2008 were legally drunk.

Clearly, drunk pedestrians are just as much of a danger to themselves as drunk drivers. But unfortunately, in situations where they get injured in a car crash, they will have to shoulder the burden of all their expenses because there is no one else left to blame for their troubles but themselves.

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Long Beach Authorities in Search of Fatal Hit-and-Run Driver

Hit and run drivers are increasing in number, leaving mostly the victims and their loved ones unable to acquire the justice they deserve.

Recovering damages in a fatal hit-and-run accident is difficult especially when the unidentified driver refuses to take responsibility for his negligent actions. This problem is now being faced by the loved ones of Samira Chalala, 54, from Cypress.

According to reports, Chalala died when she was hit by a 1998 Nissan Frontier while trying to cross 27th Street along Pasadena Avenue in Long Beach.

There was no designated crosswalk in the accident area, said reports.

The victim was brought to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center where she was announced dead due to her injuries.

Hopefully, someone will emerge as a witness and identify the driver so that he will be finally forced to face the outcome of his wrong actions. If ever it was proven that his negligence resulted to the fatal accident, he may face different punishments including license cancellation, jail time, and paying of fines.

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Police Still Investigating Hit-and-Run Accident that Killed 6-Year-Old Kid Last November

Menlo Park police closed down a portion of Highway 84 to recreate the hit-and-run accident that killed 6-year-old Lisa Xavier last November.

Lisa was aboard a car with her parents on Highway 84, or Bayfront Expressway, when an alleged street racer slammed their vehicle.

The alleged street racer left the scene of the accident.

No arrests were made but the police are still looking for a “person of interest” in the case identified as Shannon Fox, 24.

It’s not known when the reconstruction will end but all motorists driving into Menlo Park on the Dumbarton Bridge are being diverted onto University Avenue.

Hopefully the police can get a breakthrough in the case and find the culprit who was responsible for this tragedy.

It is bad enough that the suspect was engaged in street racing but it is even worse that he was not man enough to face the consequences of his actions.

According to the law, a person who engages in street racing is automatically committing reckless driving and the act is aggravated if any person died or got injured as a result of the act.

Aside from a wrongful death lawsuit, the hit-and-run driver can also be criminally liable.

He (or she) can be charged with homicide and even murder.

Not to mention that he left the scene of the accident. That would certainly factor in the penalties and punishment he will receive.

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Bicyclist Killed in Hit-and-Run Accident

It is not clear yet who had the right of way in the accident that killed a bicyclist in Compton Monday afternoon.

However, one thing is for sure, the driver of the van that hit him is in a big legal trouble.
According to reports, the hit-and-run accident occurred near Compton Avenue and Dwight Avenue at about 1:23pm

The bicyclist was going north on Dwight when he was struck by a 1990 vintage grey Ford Aerostar van that was going east on Compton.

The bicyclist was pronounced dead on the scene and the van was nowhere in sight.
Now the police are searching for the van and the driver.

Under the law, we are required to stop after a vehicle accident.

We are required to exchange information and we are required to provide reasonable assistance to those who are hurt.

Who knows, the bicyclist could have been saved if only he stopped and made arrangements for the victim to be treated immediately.

Now, civil liabilities are the least of his problem.

He may be charged with homicide for the death of the bicyclist and could spend some time in jail.

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Maximum Penalty Slapped on DUI Convict

Finally, justice had been served to the family and friends of Emily Cathleen Dowdy who died from a hit and run accident.

A San Diego court sentenced Alan Lester Mabrey to 20 years to life in prison for Dowdy’s death. The conviction was brought about after finding that Mabrey killed Dowdy while drunk driving. At the time of the accident, Mabrey’s blood-alcohol content registered at 0.22 percent.

The evidence revealed that Mabrey had previous DUI convictions in Texas and Colorado.

For repeated DUI offenders, the maximum penalty provided by law must be imposed. The gravity of the offense and the fact that the offender seemed not to have learned his lessons must be taken into consideration.

Hit and run cases in California are the highest with 7.8 percent. According to the report conducted by the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety, 18 percent of hit and run victims were pedestrians.

For the loss of innocent lives, personal injury laws give the victims’ loved ones the right to sue for compensation. With the help of a hit and run attorney, recovery for damages may be done without delay.

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