Orange County Hit-and-Run Accident Injures Man
Gregory Martin, 54, was critically injured in a Garden Grove car accident after a hit-and-run driver struck him, and a second car then dragged him several hundred feet. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the hit-and-run accident occurred on West Street in Garden Grove, the evening of December 28, 2011. Officials say Martin was crossing the road when 29-year-old Guadalupe Quinonez of Santa Ana, who was driving a gray Dodge Magnum, hit him and left him lying on the roadway. Moments later, a white Ford Explorer failed to see the victim and dragged him about 750 feet before its driver stopped and called the authorities.
Martin has been listed in critical condition following the pedestrian accident. Officials used a license-plate number and tracked down the Dodge, which had been abandoned in Santa Ana. Quinonez turned herself in to the Garden Grove Police Department and now faces felony hit-and-run charges and a misdemeanor charge of driving with a suspended license.
My heart goes out to Gregory Martin following this terrible hit-and-run car accident. I wish him the very best for a complete and speedy recovery. Please keep Martin and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
Orange County Pedestrian Accident Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol's 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), four people were killed and 45 were injured as a result of pedestrian accidents in the city of Garden Grove. During that same year, there were 41 fatalities and 864 injuries reported due to pedestrian accidents throughout Orange County.
Leaving the Scene of a Car Accident
Based on this news report, the driver of the Magnum left Martin lying on the roadway where he was struck and dragged by another vehicle. Leaving the scene of an injury crash is an appalling act that shows callous disregard for human life. It is also illegal to flee the scene of a crash. California Vehicle Code Section 20001 (a) states: "The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than himself or herself, or in the death of a person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident."
Liability Issues
Victims of hit-and-run collisions would be well advised to contact an experienced Garden Grove personal injury lawyer, who will stay on top of the official investigation and ensure that their legal rights and best interests are protected. Injured victims can seek compensation to cover medical expenses, loss of wages, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation and other related damages. A skilled car accident attorney will be able to better inform a victim in such cases about how his or her auto insurance policy applies to an incident where the at-fault motorist is uninsured or underinsured.
