On June 3, a Philadelphia man pleaded guilty to third-degree felony accident involving serious bodily injury. The pedestrian accident occurred on March 6 at about 10 p.m. in the 7000 block of West Chester Pike. A passenger that was riding in the defendant's car at the time of the incident came forward and gave a report to police.
According to sources, when police arrived to the crash scene, the pedestrian was unconscious and not breathing. He was taken to a nearby medical facility for treatment of his injuries. At the time of the crash, the man was driving another passenger home when he struck the pedestrian with his Dodge minivan. He reportedly continued to drive and told the passenger that he would return to the scene once he dropped him off.
The man was taken into custody after the passenger went to the police station to report the incident. He was charged with failure to render aid, driving without a license, aggravated assault and other offenses. These charges were dismissed as part of a plea deal negotiated by the defense counsel and assistant district attorney. The defendant was given a sentence of 90 days to 23 months in prison followed by three years of probation. In addition, the defendant was ordered to pay restitution to the victim and provide a DNA sample to state police.
Pedestrians may be more likely to be severely injured when struck by a vehicle. The act of driving away from the scene of a pedestrian accident may be considered negligence. A hit-and-run victim may be entitled to seek compensation from the at-fault motorist for their medical and rehabilitative expenses. A personal injury lawyer might determine whether the circumstances of an accident meet the criteria for negligence.