Shocking Facts about Colorado Hit & Run Accidents
Leaving an accident scene without waiting for police or exchanging information with other involved motorists is illegal in Colorado. Despite this fact, however, many drivers still commit hit-and-runs, leaving victims on the roadside to try to pick up the pieces on their own.
And what can be just as distressing as the aftermath of a hit-and-run is the fact that these types of accidents are occurring in Colorado far too often.
Taking a look at the following facts can reveal why some have deemed the incidence of hit-and-runs in the state to be an “epidemic.”
The Facts about Colorado Hit-and-Run Accidents
- Colorado ranks 10th in the U.S. for the most hit-and-runs – In fact, from 2011 to 2012, the rate of hit-and-runs in Colorado about doubled despite the fact that the overall number of traffic crashes for the same period declined; when looking at data from 2008, there has been a 67 percent surge in the rates of these collisions. Additionally, more recent data even suggests that, during an average month in Colorado, at least three people are killed in hit-and-run accidents.
- An average of 17 hit-and-run accidents occur every day in Denver – From 2011 to 2014, the Denver Police Department has received at least 18,600 reports of hit-and-run collisions in the county. And, when looking at the data from 2011 to 2013, nearly 1 in every 3 traffic crashes in Denver involved a hit-and-run collision.
- About 2 in every 3 people killed in a hit-and-run is a bicyclist or pedestrian – And this fact seems to reveal another important fact about hit-and-runs in Colorado, namely that a substantial number of the motorists who cause these crashes are likely impaired by alcohol (or are violating traffic laws in other ways) and, consequently, likely believe that they would face bigger problems if they stayed at the accident scene.
- When hit-and-run drivers are found and charged with a crime, less than half ever end up incarcerated – This is according to a recent study conducted by the Denver Post, which found that, since 2008, more than 60 percent of the criminal cases involving charges of “leaving the scene of an accident involving serious bodily injury” were dismissed by the court.
Contact Lakewood Auto Accident Attorney James L. Finegan
Have you been injured in a hit-and-run or in any type of traffic accident? If so, Lakewood Auto Accident Attorney James L. Finegan is here for you, ready to help you advocate your rights to justice and compensation. For more than three decades, our firm has been dedicated to helping the victims of negligence craft the strongest possible cases and bring these cases to successful resolutions.
Learn more about your rights and legal options during a free, no obligations case evaluation with Attorney James L. Finegan. To schedule this meeting, call (303) 980-5511 or toll free at (888) 980-5511. You can also send an email via the contact form on this page.
From offices based in Lakewood, CO, James L. Finegan, P.C. provides superior representation to clients throughout Jefferson County and the state of Colorado, including those in Denver County, Arapahoe County, Douglas County, Adams County and the Colorado Front Range region.
