A car accident in Santa Ana resulted in major head injuries for a female pedestrian the morning of February 16, 2012. The Orange County Register reports that the accident, which involved a hit-and-run driver, occurred at Bristol Street and Elder Avenue when the woman who was crossing the road was struck by a vehicle. The driver did not stop at the scene. The woman who was knocked unconscious was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. Officials are looking for the hit-and-run driver.

I sympathize with this hit-and-run car accident victim and her family for what they are going through at this time. She and her family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

OC Pedestrian Accidents

There were 41 fatalities and 864 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in Orange County, according to California Highway Patrol’s 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). In the city of Santa Ana, there were seven fatalities and 145 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in 2009.

Laws and Liability Issues

Based on this news report, officials say that the driver in addition to striking and seriously injuring the woman fled as she lay on the roadway unconscious. The driver apparently did not even stop to see what happened to the woman or call 911 so she could get the medical attention she needed. Unconscionable! Leaving the scene of a car accident is illegal under California Vehicle Code Section 20001 (a). Regardless of whose fault the accident was, motorists are required under the law to stop immediately and remain at the scene until authorities arrive.

If you have any information, please visit our dedicated hit-and-run web site, www.hitandrunreward.com to offer an anonymous tip and also become eligible for a $1,000 reward.

It would be in victims’ best interests to seek the counsel of a skilled Santa Ana personal injury lawyer, who will advise them about their legal rights and options. A skilled car accident attorney will also advise victims about how their own auto insurance policy applies to a hit-and-run crash where the driver is never found, or, in a case where the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured.