Fleeing from Scene of Accident :: Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog

A recent news report details a Chicago car crash that occurred Tuesday evening in the Hermosa neighborhood. The driver of the car, a 24-year-old woman, ran away on foot from the scene of the accident, only to return and be arrested two hours later. According to the police, when the woman fled the scene, she left a three-year-old child alone in the back of her car.

As a result, the woman has been charged not only with leaving the scene of an accident that involved vehicle damage, but also with endangering the life and welfare of a child. She was also charged with driving without a license and failing to have insurance.

The boy appeared not to have been injured, and the news report didn’t note whether the driver or passengers in the other car suffered any injuries. However, even in cases of relatively minor car accidents, the people involved are often in shock for some time after the crash. They might make poor decisions, and might not even remember very well exactly what happened. It is extremely important, therefore, to consider ahead of time what you might need to do if you are ever involved in an accident. Consider, for example, which friend or relative you might call for help. Also consider drawing up a list of the kind of information that you should try to collect and jot down as soon as possible after any accident—the kind of information that you might otherwise forget. Most of us know that we’re supposed to exchange insurance information with the other driver; however, other information might also help you fully protect your rights. Such information would include the exact date, time, and location of the crash; the weather conditions at the time; and the license plate numbers of the other car involved. If there are any witnesses, you should ask them for their names and phone numbers, as well, in case you may need to reach them later for any information they can provide about the crash.