Car accidents are so common in Knoxville that it may seem odd for a day to go by without you hearing about one. Hit-and-run accidents are often more unsettling to hear about because there is usually tragedy involved. As disturbing and life-changing as motor vehicle collisions can be for the victims, their family members are often left mourning the untimely loss of their loved ones. Victims who survive often have to spend the rest of their lives dealing with the consequences of someone else’s negligent behavior.
A Knoxville family recently lost a relative in a fatal hit-and-run accident. The 29-year old male victim was on the side of the road on Gay Street with a female companion when a sports utility vehicle struck them. The accident shut down the area for approximately three hours while officials investigated the scene. The female victim is currently listed in serious condition at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. She is 24 years old.
The driver of the SUV is a 23-year old woman who is currently facing fatal hit-and-run charges and may receive additional charges after further investigation. She was apprehended by law enforcement in the evening, although the incident occurred during the early morning hours on Sunday. Currently, there is no information on if drugs or alcohol were contributing factors.
Hit-and-run accidents are preventable. Drivers have a duty to other motorists to operate their vehicles safely. They should never leave the scene of an accident. When they fail to honor that obligation and break the law by fleeing an accident scene, lives can be irrevocably changed forever.
Source: WATE.com, Knoxville woman charged in fatal hit-and run,” Madisen Keavy, Sept. 20, 2017