http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_3573175

Hit, run surge cited
Insurance industry data reveal the state has the nation's highest rate of hit-and-run accidents.
By Pam Wight Staff Writer
Whittier Daily News

Alicia Villarreal kept returning to the spot where a crossing guard was hit by a truck and dragged about 45 feet down the street - still shocked that someone could run down a human being and then just walk away.
"I was yelling, `Stop! Stop!' I don't know if he didn't see Jaime or what, but he just kept going," said Villarreal.

She was just feet from crossing guard Jaime Meza on Wednesday morning when the 50-year-old Whittier man stepped off the curb at Greenstone Avenue in Norwalk and was instantly hit by a red Toyota pickup.

"\ got out, then got back in and pulled the truck over, then he left. I couldn't believe he just walked away," she said.

Meza had to be airlifted to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center with serious head wounds. He was released on Saturday from the hospital.

Investigators are still looking for the suspect, a 30- to 40-year-old man identified as Jose Francisco Velez Serrano of Artesia, who had just purchased the truck.

The incident and thousands of others have given California the dishonorable distinction of having the nation's highest rate of hit-and-run collisions, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Last year, 8,250 hit-and-run collisions involving injury or death were reported on the streets of Los Angeles County.

The figure makes Los Angeles the third highest-ranking county for hit-and-runs in a survey of 58 counties statewide, according to the state Office of Traffic Safety.

Locally in 2004, La Habra ranked 12th out of 97 cities with populations between 50,000 and 100,000 surveyed for hit-and-runs crashes by the state office. Whittier was not far behind, ranking at 25th.

Montebello ranked 32nd in the state; Pico Rivera ranked 42nd; and La Mirada was 52nd, according to the state agency's statistics.

"I really think juries have no sympathy for these people," said Joe Zizi, public affairs officer for the California Highway Patrol's Southern Division. "They forget that if the CHP officer gets their license plate number, they'll be getting a visit at their house, followed by a ride to jail."

Under California law, a driver involved in any accident resulting in injury or death must stop immediately and report the crash, or else face a felony violation that can lead to up to four years in county jail and a fine of up to $10,000.

Hit-and-run drivers who damage property can be charged with a misdemeanor, leading to up to six months in jail and $1,000 in fines.

Zizi said many people run because they are scared of getting in trouble. Others often grossly underestimate the damage they inflict.

"People think they only tapped someone, so they take off. But they may have caused major injury," he said. "Then it becomes much more than just a traffic collision, because you risk being sent to jail. If there are injuries, you'll be booked. It's not worth it to hit and run."

Another primary reason people run from a collision scene is a lack of a driver license, said Montebello Police Department Chief Garry Couso-Vasquez.

"In most of my 35 years in the police force, it's the lack of a driver's license that causes most hit-and-runs," he said. "Other top ones are uninsured or unregistered vehicles, suspended licenses and DUI's."

To reduce hit-and-run crashes in the city, Montebello police check for driver's licenses during DUI check points. Drivers found violating license laws have their vehicles impounded for 30 days.

Violators also pay an impound fee and a fine in order to get their vehicles back, Couso-Vasquez said.

"We want to increase accountability, because people will use it as an excuse," he said. "They'll let someone drive their car and say, `Oh, I didn't know he didn't have a license.' Well, if you let someone drive your car, you better know if they have a license."

Staff Writers Susan Abram and Molly R. Okeon contributed to this story.

pam.wight@sgvn.com

(562) 698-0955, Ext. 3029