Massachusetts pedestrian hit-and-run kills 1

A man was killed after he was struck by a car while crossing a street in Lowell. Witnesses were able to provide a license plate number, which helped investigators identify the owner of the vehicle involved in the pedestrian accident. Police initiated a search for the hit-and-run driver after finding a vehicle that matched the description of the car involved.

The accident occurred on June 4 just after 10:50 p.m. The pedestrian, an 86-year-old local man who witnesses said used a cane, was crossing Westford Street when a Volkswagen hatchback struck him. One bystander saw the driver of the vehicle, described as a young man, get out of the car briefly before getting back in and driving away at a high rate of speed. Several people called 911 to report the accident. A woman who was walking home from work saw the car as it sped down Westford Street away from the scene of the accident and described the damage to the vehicle.

The car sustained heavy damage to its front end and windshield. Police found the vehicle early in the morning on June 5. The vehicle registration led investigators to the identity of the car’s owner but their search for the driver continued.

People who are killed in pedestrian accidents often leave behind family members grieving their losses while struggling with bills they incur as a result of their loved ones’ accidents. A family may be unaware of their options for seeking compensation when investigators are unable to find a hit-and-run driver whose negligence resulted in a relative’s death. A personal injury attorney could advise a spouse, children or parents of an accident victim of their eligibility for filing a wrongful death claim.

Source: WHDH, ‘Lowell Police investigating deadly hit and run crash,” Anthony Miller, June 5, 2014

Source: LowellSun.com, “Police seek driver in fatal Lowell hit-and-run“, Robert Mills, June 05, 2014