Man faces charges for hit-and-run accident
A 42-year-old man will face criminal charges for his alleged involvement in a hit-and-run traffic wreck that left a correctional officer dead and three of her colleagues with catastrophic injuries. Charges were filed against the suspect after he turned himself in to police the day after the accident.
Authorities have charged the man with three felony counts of failing to stop after an accident resulting in serious bodily injury and one felony count of failing to stop after an accident resulting in death. The suspect was held until he could appear before a judge.
Police say the serious car accident occurred when the suspect struck four correctional officers with his SUV. The officers, who were jogging at the time of the accident, all sustained serious injuries. A 25-year-old officer was killed instantly, while the three other victims were hospitalized. A 34-year-old officer, who had to undergo surgery to treat a broken arm, and another 25-year-old officer, who suffered damaged tendons and broken ankles, have been released. At last report, a 22-year-old officer remained at a hospitalized in fair condition. He suffered a serious injury that could require his arm to be amputated.
The suspect was arrested after his attorney called police to inform them that his client wished to surrender, although the man has declined to make any statements regarding the accident. Following his arrest, police sent the suspect's SUV to a crime laboratory to be processed. The lab's technicians reportedly found shards of glass, pieces of body tissue and blood residue on the front and side of the vehicle.
The case is indeed tragic. Perhaps a life could have been saved if the driver stayed on site and tried to render aid or call for help. Fleeing the scene of an accident is never a good idea, and can lead people believe that one is not sorry for his or her actions.
Source: Post-Tribune, "Charges filed in hit-and-run that killed officer," Lori Caldwell and Christin Nance Lazerus, March 9, 2012
