May 13 2009
Law Passes – Some hit-and-run incidents a felony
Shocking Tragedy
It was a year ago this month that Connie Blount, 18, a Park City woman in her freshman year at the University of Kentucky, was struck and killed in a hit-and-run accident.
The tragedy shocked and horrified family members not only because of the death of their loved one, but also because they soon discovered Kentucky was one of just three states in the nation at that time where hit-and-run was a misdemeanor offense. The other two states were Montana and Utah.
“I was shocked. I was totally unaware it wasn’t a felony in every state. I was horrified by that fact,” said Connie’s father, Jack Blount.
Motivated by his daughter’s death, Blount worked to change Utah’s law. Now a year later, the state has a law that makes some hit-and-run incidents a felony.
Starting today, motorists involved in a hit-and-run collision in which there is death or serious bodily injury can be charged with a felony if they previously were convicted of DUI.
Blount said he would have liked to have seen all hit-and-runs involving serious injury charged as felonies, regardless of a prior DUI conviction. But the new law is a good start, he said.
“Government is a very complex organism. Any change in the right direction is exciting. I’m certainly disappointed the law isn’t broader and more straight forward,” he said. “I understand these things take time. They’re complicated. We’re continuing to push on legislation to improve for next year.” Blount says he has the full support of law enforcement to get tougher laws passed.
“Everybody I’ve talked to in law enforcement have been 110 percent on my side. They think this is an unacceptable crime. It’s growing out of control in America,” he said.
Utah has had its share of high-profile hit-and-run incidents, in addition to what seems to be a spike in the number cases in recent weeks, including five in the past two months resulting in serious bodily injury or death.
Hit and Run Incidents
May 2 — A 31-year-old woman was found unconscious in the road near 4000 West and 4400 South and taken to the hospital in critical condition.
April 20 — A 29-year-old man was critically injured after being hit by a car on 900 South near 1400 East.
April 10 — A 27-year-old woman was critically injured crossing the street in a crosswalk at 2100 South and 1200 East with her dog that was also hit and killed.
March 19 — A 57-year-old bicyclist was left lying in the road, seriously injured, after being hit by a BMW on Wasatch Boulevard.
Numerous High Profile Cases
Another high profile hit-and-run accident in Utah happened in December 2007, when a 15-year-old girl was killed while running across I-15.A random sampling of statistics from local police departments shows hit-and-run accidents keep law enforcers busy.
From Jan. 1, 2008, to May 5, 2009, Salt Lake City police responded to 1,476 hit-and-run accidents, according to the city’s crime statistics. The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to 761 from April 2008 to April 2009, according to its records.
Sandy police have had 119 hit-and-run accidents during the first four months of 2009. There were 391 in 2008. For the past three years, the average number per month has gone up from 27.4 in 2006 to 32.5 in 2008, or at least one a day.
The statistics reflect all incidents classified as “hit-and-run,” from fatal accidents to minor fender-benders caused by drivers who back into another vehicle in a parking lot and take off without leaving a note on the windshield.
Money was the main reason the Utah Legislature didn’t approve a stronger hit-and-run bill, said Rep. Christopher Herrod, R-Provo, who sponsored the new law. Legislators feared it would result in many more people being sent through the judicial system and incarcerated. Because of that, fiscal analysts estimated that by adding the prior DUI provision, they could delay that spike in incarcerations for two years, he said.
Like Blount, who helped with the bill, Herrod said the law was a good first step. But Herrod said he plans to revisit the issue during the next legislative session in an attempt to strengthen it.
Questions about the Bill
Some law enforcers question watering down the bill for money reasons, noting that because the Salt Lake County Jail limits incarcerations, the new law really wouldn’t impact prisoner housing costs. The jail would simply be forced to reprioritize releases when overcrowding occurs.
Herrod, however, countered that theoretically a jail should be able to hold all offenders.
“Often times it takes several years to get legislation passed. It was much better than not having it on the books at all. The problem will be fixed in the future,” he said. “It’s only a matter of time before this happens on a back street and someone is left to die. That’s what I really want to avoid in the future. People should take responsibility for their actions.”
Blount said he was encouraged by the support he has received from law enforcement, not only in Utah but other states. He has also worked to change the law in Montana, now the only state in the nation without a felony hit-and-run statute.
“I think as citizens, when things are brought to our attention, we need to take action,” he said. “Certainly Connie’s death is what’s driving me to try and help protect other people.”
By Pat Reavy Deseret News
Published: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 10:35 p.m. MDT
Technorati Tags: attorneys, lawyers, traffic accidents, traffic laws, utah driving
