A woman from Chandler has been found guilty in federal court of leaving the scene of an Arizona pedestrian accident that caused a death on an Indian reservation, according to the Arizona Republic. The 64-year-old woman now faces sentencing in November 2010.
The accident happened back on March 21, 2007 early in the morning on the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Reservation, which is located east of Phoenix, Arizona. Evidence showed the defendant hit and killed a 34-year-old Native American pedestrian as she attempted to cross the street. The at fault driver did not stop at the scene of the accident as required by law.
A conviction in federal court for leaving the scene of a fatal accident carries a possible sentence of up to nearly 9 years and a possible $250,000 fine.
It was not reported if a civil lawsuit was ever filed or if an Arizona pedestrian accident attorney is involved in the case.
Phoenix hit-and-run car accidents seem to be more and more common. Many speculate that this is due to the fact that, because of the poor economy, many drivers are on the road without auto insurance. This in turn can lead to drivers fleeing the scene of Arizona accidents. In my experience as a Phoenix car accident lawyer, I have found that most hit-and-run drivers are uninsured.