Many hit-and-run drivers are assumed to be drunk or high, and they flee the scene to "buy time" so that blood or urine tests won't be incriminating. That strategy prevents prosecutors from pursuing felonies that could put drivers in jail. Many other hit-and-run drivers are believed to be undocumented, afraid the system will treat them harshly.
Even when caught, however, many hit-and-run drivers are let off with a slap on the wrist.
Hit-and-run victim Don Ward, a bicyclist with Midnight Ridazz, memorized most of the license plate of the Jaguar driver who struck him and put him in the hospital a few years ago. Then Ward himself caught the driver — by calling Jaguar body shops. LAPD had informed Ward that they'd need a couple of weeks just to run the plate numbers.
The driver, convicted of "misdemeanor property damage" for crushing Ward's bike, was high-powered City Hall lobbyist Glenn Gritzner. Since it was too late to test Gritzner for drugs or alcohol by the time he was apprehended, a judge sentenced him to just 30 days of trash pickup.
"He didn't even have his license suspended," says Ward, who joined the leafletting of the soccer fields Sunday. "In L.A., people face no consequences. City Councilman Mitch Englander says LAPD often doesn't even confiscate the vehicle from a hit-and-run."
Eyewitnesses to Kevitt's tragedy were stuck in the chronic Sunday traffic jam on the Zoo Drive overpass, which feeds cars into parking areas for the L.A. Zoo and Autry Museum. The suspect had been sitting in the backup as well. According to eyewitnesses, he abruptly yanked his van to the left and onto the freeway on-ramp just as Kevitt was gliding past, riding close to Zoo Drive's yellow line.
Kevitt's mother, Michelle Kirkland, says, "Our greatest challenge is to avoid infection. And next will be a major attempt at skin grafts on his backside." She's urging people with clues to contact WeTip. Her son, she says, is a minister in the Church of Scientology and "is getting great support from his Scientology colleagues."
Gatto's staff has investigated another possible law — one requiring auto body shops to report suspicious damage to law enforcement via email — but says it will take time to assess the costs and technical challenges of implementing such a law.
Even so, Gatto says police can do far more. "The story of Damian Kevitt being repeated and kept in front of people might force the government to act," the state assemblyman says. "This has been going on since way back, long before anyone could blame budget cuts."
So very sad.. This happened to my son, Michael Ray Vega on 8-28-12 in Rancho Cucamonga, Ca. There has been an arrest, unfortunately my son was killed. We are riding every month in his memory. We are riding tomorrow morning from HB to Newport.. More awareness, stronger penalties.. Prayers for Damian for a full recovery. May you Ride On!.
"Gatto's staff has investigated another possible law — one requiring auto body shops to report suspicious damage to law enforcement via email — but says it will take time to assess the costs and technical challenges of implementing such a law."
The "costs" of sending an email? Are you kidding me?
@john John this is Jill Stewart and I really appreciate your comment and question. It turns out that the hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of body shops in the Los Angeles Basin have a strong tendency to not be online, and quite a few don't even have a shop computer but are paper-based. Many employ or are owned by illegal immigrants who want no contact with any authorities. And add to that the fact that "state workers" who have been granted salaries by the California legislature along the lines of 30% more than private sector workers in most endeavors. These state workers would have to be tasked with creating the system for outreach, sign up, and perhaps digitizing these shops -- we're probably talking millions of dollars. Plus, it can't be just a law for LA. It would have to be statewide or lawsuits would fly. So, tens of millions, I'm thinking? Why California doesn't work too well ...
2 Like
You got the last 4 digits of the phone number a major clue, only missing the first 3, odds are 1000 possible numbers, so get to work. People act so slow and if they moved right after, cases would be solved.
Also, cell phone companies keep a log of all cell sites at that date and time, and simply subpoena all major carriers, especally metro pcs since this was mostly likely an immgrant, and law enforcement can get the person that way.
Finally, investigate all registered vans within 20 miles.
Man, this case should have been solved a long time ago
@Outdoorlover1 Came here to say this but you beat me to it. There are only 1,000 possibilities for the perpetrator's phone number. This is NOT an unsolvable case.
A guy lost his leg. And this is the best the LAPD can do?
@Outdoorlover1 I agree. In fact, there are a lot fewer numbers than 1,000. With a Se Vende sign, the vehicle is probably commercial and hence it is a landline, commercial phone number. Even if the old days of Joe Friday, they could hand search the commercial 213 XXX-0776 in a couple hours.
When you find out who has that phone number, then you know who owns the van.
BTW, this should be classified as Attempted Murder and not a Hit and Run
1 Like
How can anyone point the finger at any group if almost no one is caught for their hit & runs?
Suzy.....Quit getting offended and quit throwing in the race card. I'm just saying it as I see it. Your lcomment only proves that non-latinos also commit hit and runs but face the truth.....latino drivers do make up the majority of hit and run drivers. It's like the latinos who cry racism when we mention the millions in welfare given to illegals. I suppose I am now a bad guy for not coming to the defense of reckless latino drivers?
Dear Rocker, Allen, Akers, and Gallergos... Before your racism gets out of hand read the following. Also FYI my brother was a hit-and-run victim, sorry to disapoint you Chealsea Akers, the person who hit him was not in the "no speak English" category. http://la.streetsblog.org/2013/03/29/victim-of-hit-and-run-where-louis-deliz-is-3-years-later/
More Americans of Mexican descent (like me) need to have the guts to agree with Old school, Chris, and Chelsea. Sometimes the truth hurts.
Sometimes the truth hurts...... but it really has a lot to do with illegals. I ride my bike everywhere and have been hit by the "no speak English " crowd too. TWICE.
@Chelsea Akers Do you ride in Benedict Canyon? If so, then you would be hit by English speakers.
A major problem with Hit and Run is that we forbid certain people to have drivers licenses and then prevent them from getting insurance. We need to make certain that anyone who drives in California, even if they came from Mars, gets a driver's license and that all cars are insured.
The penalties for not having a license can then be made much harsher; same with not having insurance. Finally, being convicted of Hit and Run should carry a mandatory prison sentence without regard to the degree of physical harm. I know we have no prison space, but that's because we have so many people in prison for drug related foolishness. Ironically, one facet of reducing Hit ans Run is to legalize drugs to make room in prison for people who DO bad things and not incarcerate people who get high.
That will not prevent all Hit and Run, but it would reduce the number of Hit and Run's.
How much you wanna bet that driver fled to Mexico long ago? Might be political incorrect to say but I can't help but notice these hit and run drivers seem to come from a very similar demographic. Nobody wants to bring that up but you everyone is thinking it. Some years back a guy backed his car into me, jumped out to look at the damage and when I asked for his license and insurance info gave me the "no speak English crap" hopped back in his truck and took off. Luckily I got the plate number. Turned out the truck wasn't even his.
@Chris Allen Did your insurance company pursue a subrogation claim against the truck's owner?
The LAPD is atrocious at all motor vehicle accident reporting. Whether a cyclist, pedestrian or in a car, they often refuse to even come out and make a report, even when there is extensive bodily and property damage. There needs to be serious reform, especially in a city that is so dependent on cars as the sole means of transportation. This poor guy. I'm glad to hear the CHP is involved though. They are very much a notch above.
@Brianna Socha LAPD Traffic is separate from regular cops. There are not enough of them because the city council chooses to give tax dollars to corrupt rel estate developers rather than adequate fund city services like paramedics, traffic officers, fire fighters etc.
I do not know how the LAPD assigns officers to Traffic, but from the experiences I have had over the years, it must be the dumping ground for the dumbest and most arrogant jack-offs around. My guess is that the LAPD feels that they can do the least amount of harm writing up traffic reports.
BTW, those who want to attack unions, get rid of pensions, and scapegoat public unions, better get used to an LAPD with a constantly deteriorating quality of officers. The more you abuse the officers, the more the decent ones will find work else where. Over time, this union bashing will degrade our city work force.
Because no one wants to say that the rise in Hit-and-Runs are mostly because of illegal immigrants. They drive like that in their own country and if they do stop, they will be arrested for no license, then deported. So, instead, they just keep going. More illegal immigrants, more hit-and-runs. Expect it to get worse.
I was hit by a car while biking a few weeks ago. Despite getting the whole thing on video, I had to beg LAPD officers to take a report. They said that since I wasn't injured and the bike wasn't damaged, it wasn't that important.
Find everything you're looking for in your city
Find the best happy hour deals in your city
Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%
Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city
