Potter Valley, CA – Hit and Run Accident on Elk Mountain Road Takes Life
Potter Valley, CA (November 28, 2018) – According to reports from the California Highway Patrol, around 3:00 in the afternoon on November 19, 57-year-old James Jobe Carpenter, of Potter Valley, was tragically hit by an oncoming vehicle on Elk Mountain Road near the Lake Pillsbury area.
Carpenter was found by a passing motorist but tragically passed away shortly after police and paramedics had arrived on the scene. The California Highway Patrol confirmed that driver who struck Carpenter did not remain at the scene to render aid as required by law, nor did he call the police. Based on a post-mortem examination of Carpenter’s body, injuries to the upper half of his body seem to indicate that he was hit by a large truck.
The investigation into this terrible accident is still active. Anyone with any information regarding these events is strongly urged to please contact the California Highway Patrol Clear Lake Area Office at (707) 279- 0103.
Hit and Run Accidents in California
We would like to extend our deepest sympathies for the family and friends of Mr. James Jobe Carpenter. Our hearts are with all of you during this terrible time.
The state of California has fairly stiff penalties for drivers who do not remain at the scene of an accident. If only property damage has occurred, the driver may be facing misdemeanor charges. If there were any injuries or deaths that resulted from the hit and run, the driver will most likely be facing felony charges. The Los Angeles Police Department alone reports over 20,000 hit and run crashes in the county each year. Some other hit and run statistics from the California Highway Patrol are:
- About 11 percent of all police-reported crashes involve a driver leaving the scene
- Hit and run accidents represent 10 percent of all fatal injury accidents
- 1,500 people are killed in hit and run crashes each year
- Almost 20 percent of pedestrian deaths are related to hit and run accidents
- About 60 percent of hit and run accident victims are pedestrians
If you have been injured as the result of an accident where the driver left the scene then you are entitled to receive monetary compensation from that driver for things such as medical costs, lost time at work, and pain and suffering. You will need an attorney with experience in handling hit and run accidents, such as those here at the Los Angeles Injury Group, to stand by you in court. If you would like a free consultation regarding your case, speak with one of our attorneys by calling our offices at 310-954-7248 today.
