I believe that if you leave the scene of an accident, you should then have to suffer the same injuries that you inflicted with your cowardly/callous disregard of others. I think a law such as this would encourage even the most drunken reprobate to stop and own up to what they did, because if they do not, the punishment will be swift and just.
Last summer, my husband and I were broadsided by a white SUV that was going over 100 mph on the highway. This sent us spinning against the highway barrier, completely totaling our car. Fortunately, our seat belts held us in and our airbags deployed, so our kids were not orphaned that evening. Dan was only bruised, but I had been in the passenger seat, and the impact had been such that I sustained most of the severe contusions, a broken rib and a traumatized spleen.
The "driver" in the white SUV did not stop, but just drove on home, because by law, he would be in more trouble if he stopped, since he was either a) coming back from partying hard and totally DUI or b) such a bad driver he really shouldn't be on the road. I suspect the former, since his Illinois license plate is "NITECAP."
We were very fortunate some witnesses caught the license plate and reported it, for when the officer went to his residence, he was there and admitted to the officer that it was indeed him and he was aware he had hit us.
I found out his court date for traffic court and attended. The interesting thing that I did not know before this happened is that in traffic court, if you do not show up to complain against the offender in traffic court, all charges are dismissed.
Then Mr. Hit and Run's lawyer proposed to the state's lawyer that they would only plead guilty to the bad lane change, if I dropped the leaving the scene charge--AS IF! That was completely insulting. An accident is an accident, but leaving the scene, especially when we were as banged up as we were, that is a CRIME. Punishable with JAIL TIME. Which people who are most likely under the influence of something and driving at over 100mph deserve LOTS of. So we were bumped up to misdemeanor court, which is where we should have been in the first place.
On the way up to the misdemeanor court, Mr. Hit and Run turned to me and said in a a casual, frat boy insincere kind of way, "Hey, sorry I hit your car."
I couldn't help it, I exploded. "YOU ALMOST KILLED ME! DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME!?! YOU COULD HAVE ORPHANED MY CHILDREN RIGHT THEN AND THERE! AND YOU JUST LEFT!!!"
Mr. Hit and Run looked surprised, like he didn't realize that there might have been people in the car he hit and sent spinning against the highway barrier. His lawyer called him over and started talking to his client intensely. I considered spewing some much more clever and withering invective at the top of my voice, but realized this would not help me at all. I went up to misdemeanor court, made sure that all the pictures of the car got to the state's attorney and made sure I didn't have to be there for that segment of his journey through the court system. My youngest was sick, and I wanted to get home.
I moved on from this first session in court which was back in September. I wondered how things were going to go for him, but figured that as worked up as I got, it was best I just let it go. What I really want to happen to this guy will never happen.
As it was, Mr. Hit and Run's lawyer called this morning to see if we had settled satisfactorily with the insurance companies. He had called Dan, and Dan said that I was handling it. I called the lawyer back and told him I had not decided. He said the court date had been moved out to May, and they were going to plead guilty to the improper lane change. What about leaving the scene of the accident? He would not say...now I am steamed again.
I am surprised that I so wish for vengeance. I will have to settle for 21st century legal vengeance, and I have decided to make sure this guy doesn't get away with less than it allows.
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