Deadly hit-and-run crashes on the rise in California

ELK GROVE — In the past few weeks, there have been multiple fatal hit-and-runs happening around the Sacramento area, but it’s not just a trend locally but throughout the state.

Busy roadways and streets, especially at night, can easily result in someone hitting a pedestrian if they’re not paying attention.

Multiple hit-and-run accidents have been reported by local police over the past few weeks.

Most recently, a man in a wheelchair was struck and killed in Modesto after entering an intersection at an unmarked crosswalk. This happened in the early morning hours of Thursday. The driver took off.

The search continues for another driver who hit and killed a pedestrian in south Sacramento on Wednesday night on Florin Road.

“It’s really important, especially with people walking or biking,” said Tim Weisberg with the California Office of Traffic Safety. “Unfortunately, that’s when you see it more with the hit-and-runs.”

There has been a 12% increase in hit-and-runs with pedestrians, according to a California Office of Traffic Safety report in 2022, and this trend isn’t new. It’s been happening for years.

“It started before the pandemic but there were certainly concerns during the pandemic with the roadways empty, you know, where people were kept inside. The people that did go out had the ability to speed more,” said Julie Griswold, a traffic safety researcher at UC Berkeley.

So, what could be the leading cause of these hit-and-runs? Experts say it’s mainly to avoid the consequences.

“If you hit a pedestrian, you potentially have more gravely injured them, and if you flee the scene, it’s much less likely they can pursue you,” Griswold said.

If a driver leaves the scene of an accident and is then caught, they can face more serious charges.

“Nobody wants to kill somebody you have to live without for the rest of your life,” Weisberg said. “So nobody wants to be in that situation. But it’s really important to know. That there are legal consequences.”

Now it’s even more crucial for pedestrians and bicyclists to be aware of their surroundings, especially since it gets darker after daylight saving time ended.

Experts say now is the time to be even more cautious with your surroundings to prevent a costly situation.