Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Butler County Missouri Scooter Ride
A teenaged scooter driver lost his life in a Butler County Missouri car accident on Sunday night. 18 year old scooter driver Alexander C. Metzig was hit by an unknown driver on MO-142. The Butler County Missouri car accident occurred on August 14, 2011 at 9:50pm.
Metzig slowed his motorized scooter on MO-142 to make a right turn off the roadway at the beginning of the Missouri scooter car accident. As he slowed, his scooter was struck in the rear by a dark blue truck. The dark blue truck then left the scene of the accident. Metzig was pronounced dead by the Butler County Deputy Coroner Joe Chapman. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the driver of the dark blue truck that struck Metzig’s motorized scooter is still unknown.
As in all states, committing a hit and run accident is a crime in Missouri. Missouri statute §577.060 is the state law that prohibits leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident. The statute states that a driver commits a hit and run when “knowing that an injury has been caused to a person or damage has been caused to property, due to his culpability or to accident, he leaves the place of the injury, damage or accident without stopping and giving his [information].” If a driver leaves the scene of an accident knowing that someone has been injured, the driver has violated Missouri hit-and-run laws.
Hit-and-run accidents may be punished criminally. Typically, leaving the scene of a Missouri car accident is a misdemeanor offense. A hit-and-run driver will only be charged with a misdemeanor if the collision only causes minor property damage. For example, a misdemeanor violation of §577.060 may include hitting a mailbox at a low speed before leaving. However, leaving the scene of an accident may be punished as a class D felony under certain circumstances.
Leaving the scene of an accident becomes a felony under three circumstances. If the hit-and-run driver has any previous violation of §577.060, leaving the accident becomes a felony. If the hit-and-run driver causes property damage more than $1000, leaving the accident becomes a felony. Most importantly, if the hit-and-run driver caused physical injury to another party, leaving the accident becomes a felony. When a hit-and-run car accident results in a fatality, the authorities may punish the hit-and-run driver severely.
If you are injured in a Missouri scooter car accident, contact the Missouri accident lawyers at the Bradley Law Firm today.
