Some residents of Toronto may have heard about the recent hit-and-run incident that took place in Calgary. A 26-year-old man died at about 4 a.m. on Feb. 17 after having been struck by a vehicle near 40th Avenue North. The 25-year-old driver fled the scene of the auto-pedestrian accident at that time, but later returned to turn himself in. He has been charged with hit and run causing death.
Although the man admitted to having been drinking at some time prior to the crash, he has not been charged with impaired driving because too much time had elapsed between the accident and the driver’s discovery. The driver was previously convicted of driving over the legal alcohol limit in 2008 and had his license suspended as a result. The man who was killed is the third person to be killed in an auto-pedestrian accident this year.
While the driver in this case turned himself in, many hit-and-run cases encounter some amount of difficulty due to the inability to locate the responsible part. The families of fatal accident victims often endure financial and emotional difficulties as a result of their loved one’s death and may understandably wish to initiate a lawsuit against the driver in order to help them cover damages.
Due to the nature of such incidents, it is sometimes necessary to estimate the extent of the victim’s income. In cases where the decedent leaves behind relatives that relied on him or her for support, pursuing compensation for lost wages in civil court may provide a family increased financial stability after the loss.
Source: CBC News, “Convicted drunk driver charged in fatal hit and run“, February 18, 2014
