A Wilmington woman involved in a hit-and-run accident that seriously injured a young man has pleaded guilty to charges of fleeing the scene of the accident. The woman has been sentenced to serve two months in jail and will also undergo three years of supervised probation. The accident victim is still recovering from the injuries he sustained last summer.
The accident occurred on July 2, 2011 around 1 a.m. The 21-year-old victim was in Wilmington visiting friends when he was hit by a car at the 400 block of South College Road. Police recovered a side mirror at the scene which belonged to a Mitsubishi Galant. Officers found the vehicle involved in the accident a few days later inside an auto shop where it was taken to be repaired. The woman involved in the accident was charged with felony hit-and-run, expired registration and an expired inspection sticker.
The victim suffered severe head trauma and is now being cared for at home. While doctors expect the man to eventually attain a 90 percent recovery, his family hopes that he will able to make a 100 percent recovery with time.
A car or pedestrian accident in Wilmington can happen in an instant. Sadly, in that short amount of time, a great deal of damage can be done. The woman in this case is being punished through the criminal justice system. However, the victim and his family may also wish to pursue a civil lawsuit. When people are harmed because of another driver’s negligence, legal options exist for them to pursue compensation to pay medical bills, make up for lost wages and for any pain and suffering.
Source: StarNewsOnline.com, “Woman pleads guilty in hit-and-run,” F.T. Norton and Brian Freskos, May 14, 2012
