On an August afternoon, 63-year-old Callie Mae Goodwin was walking with her cane across a crosswalk when a small blue car sped through a yellow light and hit her. The car rushed away from the scene, leaving her in the middle of the road, bloodied and critically injured.
This unfortunate scene is not uncommon. Hit-and-run crashes happen frequently in our area. Even though these cases are common, they can get complicated when compensation for your losses is at stake. The Cleveland hit-and-run accident attorneys at Paulozzi LPA are ready to investigate your case and guide you through to a satisfying result.
A Hough neighborhood native, Callie Mae Goodwin uses a cane to walk. The accident happened near her apartment building as she crossed East 89th Street and Hough Avenue, on her way to buy her daily lottery tickets at the convenience store.
“They left my mom for dead,” said Sherita Goodwin, the victim’s daughter. “They had my mother up under the car and rolled over her like she was a speed bump.”
Goodwin has had two surgeries since being taken to University Hospital after the accident. A witness, Kisha Norman, told news outlets the driver never attempted to stop.
The Cleveland Fire Department responded to the scene, but the Cleveland police did not. The family and witnesses hope city surveillance cameras recorded the crime, and the police might be able to gather enough evidence to supply leads for a suspect.
The family is demanding justice and that begins with finding the driver and making an arrest.
Each year, the Ohio State Highway Patrol records all the collisions throughout Ohio. During the latest reporting year (2019), there were nearly 300,000 total vehicle collisions. More than 72,000 were injured in these incidents, and 1,039 were fatal collisions. The number of traffic fatalities went down in 2020 to 764 but has already spiked again this year with 831.
In the United States, 4.6 out of every 10,000 motorists have had at least one hit-and-run violation. Ohio is above average with 7 out of every 10,000 motorists having at least one hit-and-run violation.
In 2017, the Ohio Department of Public Safety compiled its latest data regarding hit-and-run accidents. The results are dyer. Out of a little over 300,000 total collisions statewide, more than 46,000 of them were hit-and-runs. These hit-and-runs resulted in 6,797 injuries and 59 fatalities.
Of these incidents, far more hit-and-run crashes are unsolved—4,879 injuries and 32 deaths still waiting on justice.
Determining liability in hit-and-run crashes is difficult. Investigations are conducted like other car accidents, but finding a hit-and-run driver is not always easy. If they are not found, the victim is left in tangles of insurance and personal injuries claims to recover their losses.
We have the resources and legal experience to fully investigate your claim and secure:
If you or a loved one has been injured by a hit-and-run driver, contact the Cleveland hit-and-run accident attorneys at Paulozzi LPA or a free consultation by clicking here or calling us at 888-710-0040.