Man Injured in Hit and Run Accident While Getting Off the Bus
A man was left unconscious and with a broken leg after a hit and run accident while he was getting off a DART bus. Jerome Benavidez, 23, says he has no memory of the incident before finding himself on a Plano hospital room on September 5. Benavidez was confused by how he got there with plenty of bruises, lacerations and why doctors were currently stitching him up.
Benavidez had taken a bus from Lake Ray Hubbard to a Garland Transit Center and catch the train home to South Dallas but says he never remembered stepping off of the bus.
“They told me when I woke up, they found me 20 feet away from my shoes,” Benavidez said.
Police investigating the incident said that because Benavidez failed to yield the right of way, he would have been cited for being at fault. However, since the person who hit him left the scene of the accident, they are the ones who will now be charged once they are found.
Witnesses say that the car that hit Benavidez was a white Honda Prelude, an early 1990’s model, and had tinted windows. Video footage taken from a nearby Richland College building shows a white car heading west on Walnut Street shortly after the crash.
Benavidez brother passed away just one month ago, so he and his family are grateful that his own injuries were not more serious.
No matter who was ultimately at fault in this accident, the driver who hit Benavidez should have stopped their vehicle after hitting a pedestrian and rendered aid. When someone is involved in an accident, they are required by law to stay put until the authorities arrive. Leaving the scene of an accident where injury or death has occurred is a very serious crime. In the State of Texas it is considered a third degree felony and is punishable between 2 to 10 years in a state prison to leave the scene of an accident. Even if the injuries caused in the accident are not serious, leaving the scene of an accident or failing to render aid is a felony punishable between one year to five years in a county jail or state prison and a potential fine of up to $5,000. A conviction May also result in the suspension of your driver’s license if the crash caused serious injury or death.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a hit-and-run accident, you need solid legal counsel on your side. Don’t delay. Call our offices as soon as you have seen a doctor. We will match you up with the legal professional who can best handle your case. Our attorneys will sit down with you and discuss your personal injury accident and tell you what your case is really worth. We have years of experience in the Dallas Fort-Worth area and our attorneys have successfully argued accident cases in the Texas courts. Call us now so that that you can get the compensation and peace of mind that you and your family deserve.
