AAA report shows historic rise in hit-and-run deaths

UPDATE 4/26/2019 5:30 p.m.: New numbers from AAA show a historic rise in the number of deaths from hit and run crashes. The organization reports 2,049 people were killed in the United States in 2016, representing a 60-percent increase from 2009, breaking an all-time high.

AAA reports an average of 682,000 hit and run crashes every year, which is more than one every minute on U.S. roads.

We asked the California Highway Patrol Monterey Division about what it is seeing. Officer Oscar Loza said in 2017, they had 487 hit and run collisions.

“Six of those involved pedestrians and they were felony hit and run collisions,” Loza said. “Unfortunately two people lost their lives in those hit and run collisions.”

The deaths were in Pajaro and Las Lomas.

This year, Loza said there have been 125 hit and runs with no deaths reported.

Of the deaths listed in the AAA report, nearly two-thirds of the victims were pedestrians or cyclists.

“It’s an eye-opening case study, the data are discouraging, but hopefully it is enough to open our eyes and have us be a little more alert on the road and pay attention for those pedestrians and cyclists,” said Jake Nelson, AAA Traffic Safety Advocacy and Research Director.

Authorities say they don’t know why drivers take off, but it’s better to stay after a crash than to get into more trouble later.

“It’s difficult to tell why somebody would flee a scene of a collision,” Loza said. “It could be various reasons whether they have no insurance, they’re intoxicated or they’re just afraid to get in trouble. Sometimes, they may not even get in trouble if it’s not their fault but if they flee from the scene, now they’ve committed a crime so now they will get in trouble.”

CHP has a relatively new tool to help catch hit and run drivers. It’s called “Yellow Alert.” If someone sees a hit and run and believes someone was hurt seriously, they should call 911 to report as much information as they can. CHP will then issue the alert and post it on those changeable reader boards on the freeway.

Donna Thorne was the victim of a hit and run. Someone totaled her car parked out on the street.

“I just had to pay my deductible and there’s no win in the situation because you still lose money, because you just have the value of the car and you have to buy a new car,” Thorne said.

ORIGINAL POST: New numbers from AAA show a historic rise in the number of deaths from hit-and-run crashes.

More than 2,000 hit-and-run victims were killed in the United States in 2016. That’s a 60 percent increase from 2009, breaking an all-time high.

The Central Coast experienced a few deadly hit and runs last year, spanning from Soquel to southern Monterey County.

This week, a school bus was involved in a so-called “non-contact hit and run.” Fortunately no one in the bus was hurt.

KION’s Mariana Hicks spoke with the California Highway Patrol to find out why drivers are taking off after a crash. Her full story on KION at 5 and 6 p.m.