Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Salt Lake City Construction Worker
Date: October 25, 2009
Location: West Valley City, UT
Type: Salt lake City fatal accident, Salt Lake City, Utah hit-and-run accident, Utah wrongful death
A tragic Salt Lake City car accident killed a construction worker on Interstate 215 Sunday evening. According to KSL News, a truck was driving south on the interstate near 3300 South around 7:30. The driver entered a lane near the shoulder that had been coned off. The truck was traveling around 50 miles per hour, and struck one of the workers. The Utah Highway Patrol has reported that the worker was 20-year-old Brayden F. Beddoes. When emergency crews arrived at the scene, Beddoes was alive. However, he passed away before he was taken to the hospital.
The truck sped away from the scene of the accident, and authorities are asking the public for help finding the driver. The truck is an older model, possibly a dodge, and is blue and white colored. Lt. Robert Anderson of the Utah Highway Patrol said that based on the damage to the vehicle, there is no doubt the driver knew he hit a pedestrian. If you have any information about the truck, please contact the Utah Highway Patrol at 801.887.3800.
Even though it is a felony to leave the scene of an accident, over 900 pedestrians are killed in hit-and-run accidents nationwide every year. Hit-and-run accidents are becoming more frequent, especially in urban areas. USA Today reported that the rate of hit-and-runs has increased 20% since 2000. Studies have revealed that 11% of all automobile accidents are hit-and-run. In fact, 700,000 people fall victim to hit-and-runs annually.
Hit-and-run accidents can be difficult for victims on a number of levels. Beyond the physical and emotional recovery a victim faces, the insurance process can be extremely cumbersome. The responsible party is absent in this type of accident, and the victim is left footing the bill. Although the victims family will be able to make a Workers Compensation Claim, because this accident was the fault of a third-party, the family can also make a claim under their own car insurance as an uninsured motorist claim. THe family should contact their own car insurance company to ensure an uninsured motorist claim is made.
Working with the insurance company is a complicated process. If you have been involved in a Utah hit-and-run accident, you may consider hiring the best Utah personal injury lawyer to handle your case. The Utah hit-and-run attorneys at the Christensen Law Firm offer superlative legal representation and can help ensure you are not left paying out-of-pocket for an accident you did not cause. For a free consultation about your legal rights, contact us at 801.506.0800
