Hit and Run Driver Left Bumper at Chesapeake Accident Scene

A hit-and-run driver who fled an accident scene in Chesapeake, VA left a large clue to his identity behind – a bumper with his license plate.

Now the 52-year-old driver faces felony DUI and hit-and-run charges, the Virginian-Pilot reported after an accident at the intersection of Sparrow and Indian River roads, police said.

The Pilot reported that police found the driver’s bumper and license plate at the accident scene. They traced it back to his home address, and arrested him on the evening of Dec. 17, 2011.

Fortunately, in this accident there were no injuries sustained. But many cases involving hit-and-runs also entail serious injuries or even deaths.

In August 2011, for example, a tow truck driver was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Maryland (MD).

If a driver has been drinking alcohol as well as fleeing the scene, he or she is likely to face the full force of the criminal law and the civil law if anyone is injured.

In 2010, our experienced Virginia (VA) attorneys noted how a DUI driver was responsible for the death of a cyclist in Norfolk, VA.

The bicyclist killed was Paul Marqueeant, 49. He was riding his bicycle on Tidewater Drive in the early hours of the morning when he was struck by a car driven by a 51-year-old man and killed.

The statistics for drunk driving are alarming. More than 11,000 people are killed in DUI accidents every year in the United States – and one person dies in a drunk driving accident every 45 minutes.

And just under 1.5 million people are arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs each year. About half of these drivers have suspended licenses.

See this article by my colleague Jim Hurley about the dangers of drinking alcohol and driving.

The Norfolk based personal injury law firm, Cooper Hurley, handles car, truck, and motorcycle injuries. John Cooper and Jim Hurley have over 40 years of combined experience in handling auto injury accident claims. Attorney John Cooper has been named to Virginia “Super Lawyers” since 2010. Cooper Hurley represents people hurt in accidents in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News and throughout VA, and always put the best interests of the our clients first.. The firm is recognized by other lawyers as “AV” by Martindale-Hubbell, a national attorney rating service, for our top level of legal skill and highest ethical standards. If you need help or advice about a serious injury, please call us ( 757) 455 -0077. For a free consultation with a specialized Hampton Roads, Virginia personal injury lawyer contact us through this website.