It’s a horrible thought to think about anyone getting hit by a car. It’s even worse to think about what would happen if no one stopped at the scene. There’s no excuse for someone hitting another person and then fleeing.
This story out of Connecticut shows a real problem that might have happened within the police force itself. According to the Nov. 22 news, an officer may have known that his brother, a suspect in the collision, had been drinking prior to a hit-and-run crash. That officer is now being investigated by internal affairs, which is trying to find out if he purposefully delayed telling police about his brother’s potential involvement in the collision.
The 25-year-old man turned himself in for the charges of evading responsibility resulting a death, negligent homicide with a motor vehicle and giving a false statement. He posted bail and will need to appear in court.
The young man had allegedly been at a bar with his brother, an officer on the force, just two hours before the collision that resulted in the death of a 58-year-old woman. The officer claims he left around 1:45 a.m., but did not know when his brother left the bar. The crash happened at 2:00 a.m., approximately. The officer being questioned did report that his brother had been driving that night. He called in the report the following morning.
An investigation has shown, so far, that the woman crossing the street was crossing when a “do not walk” signal was displayed. She was nearly hit by another vehicle before being hit by the driver who was arrested.
Crashes like this one don’t have to happen. If you decide to drink and go out, get a ride home. It’s not worth putting someone else at risk of an injury or worse.
Source: Hartford Courant, “Hartford Police Probe Whether Officer Delayed Reporting Relative In Fatal Hit And Run,” David Owens, Vinny Vella and Mikaela Porter, accessed Dec. 06, 2017