Young Man Killed in Hit-and-Run

 Posted on November 20, 2012 in Personal Injury

A 20-year-old man was struck by a car and killed in the Belmont Central neighborhood in early November, and the driver fled the scene, according to the chtribune. Jose Alfredo Sosa was "crossing Diversey Avenue at Mason Avenue from the north side of the street when a Mercury Grand Marquis driving south on Mason made a turn onto Diversey and struck him," according to the Tribune. It was shortly after 9:30pm in the evening, and the victim was pronounced dead at Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital about an hour after the crash. Police had the license plate of the car that allegedly struck Sosa, which is more than police usually have to go on after a hit and run. Most likely the license plate was grabbed by controversial traffic cameras mounted in busy intersections across the city. Pedestrians are the most affected by hit-and-run accidents across the country. According to DeadlyRoads.com, in 2003 there were 1,577 people killed nationwide in hit and run crashes, as reported by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. "The AAA Foundation analysis showed that approximately 11 percent of all police reported crashes involve a hit and run driver, and that problem is especially alarming for pedestrians," reported DeadlyRoads. Nearly 20 percent of all pedestrian fatalities nationwide every year result from a hit and run crash, and, according to GridChicago.com, "the hit-and-run rate for crashes involving pedestrians was 32.7 percent for the years 2005–2010" in Chicago. The rate for these types of accidents is high, given the penalty. Anyone convicted of a hit-and-run accident in Illinois faces high fines and jail times—felony charges if anyone is killed or injured in the crash. If you or someone you know is accused of a hit-and-run accident, don't go through it alone. Contact a dedicated criminal defense attorney today.