11-Year-Old Boy Killed By Hit-And-Run Driver

An accident in Phoenix over the weekend claimed the life of a Phoenix 11-year-old boy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The driver who caused the collision fled the scene and has not yet been apprehended by authorities.

Phoenix police stated that the boy was walking through a parking lot with his mother near 35th Avenue and Indian School Road on Saturday night near their home. A driver entered his Izuzu Amigo that was parked in the same parking lot, intending to leave, and place his vehicle in reverse. Police now believe that the driver failed to remove a steering wheel device designed to prevent vehicle theft before placing the car in reverse. The car backed up and struck the young boy, running him over, and then continued to hit a chain link fence where the vehicle stopped. With the safety device in place, the driver would not have been able to steer or brake to control the car.

After the impact, the driver reportedly got out of his car and helped the boy’s mother remove the boy from underneath the Amigo before the driver fled the scene on foot. Though officials have been looking for the driver, they have not yet located him and are asking the public for any information that might be helpful. Some witnesses at the scene said the driver appeared to be intoxicated when he exited his car and as he walked away leading to the speculation as to why the driver failed to remove the safety device before moving his car.

Though the victim in this case was transported to an area hospital for medical treatment, his injuries were too severe and later claimed his life.

Hit-and-run accidents like this one in Phoenix are often serious and may become deadly. The fear of facing traffic charges causes some drivers to flee the scene of an accident but this action may subject a driver to more serious charges in the long run. A hit-and-run driver may also leave a victim without the means or ability to seek medical care, especially if no witnesses are around, and therefore these collisions may turn deadly when proper treatment would otherwise have allowed a victim to survive.

When a pedestrian is injured by the negligent driving of a motorist, the pedestrian may be able to bring a claim against the driver’s insurance company to recover for any injuries and damages the pedestrian incurred. When the driver is unknown due to a hit-and-run accident, there still may be a claim against a victim’s own insurance policy. These accidents can be stressful for any family and the laws governing injuries are complicated so it is always best to speak with a personal injury attorney to discuss all options.

If you have been injured through the negligent driving of another person that fled the scene of the accident, you have rights and you may have a claim for monetary damages you suffered. Call the Phoenix hit-and-run injury lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. today for a free telephone consultation. Let us get you a recovery you deserve for your injuries and pain and suffering by calling us at (602) 819-5191 or (855) PHX-LAWYER now.

Prior Blog Entries:

Elderly Driver Crashes into Store, Injures 4, Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, published May 24, 2013.

Phoenix Police Officer Killed By Hit-and-Run Driver, Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, published May 22, 2013.

Resources:

Police search for subject who hit and killed 11-year-old Enoc Quijada, by Sara Goldenberg, ABC15.com, published May 27, 2013.