When someone commits a crime like a hit-and-run, it’s one of the worst situations for families to deal with. A wrongful death is even more difficult to handle when the person responsible flees.
That’s why it’s important for the authorities not to stop looking. When they do find the person who may have been at fault, then that person does need to be brought back into the state to talk over what happened and face charges when necessary.
Take, for example, this story out of Whittier. According to the news, a hit-and-run crash suspect fled the country. She had returned to Hong Kong and then to Australia. However, after locating her in Australia, the authorities there returned her to the United States. Now, she’ll face charges including felony hit-and-run for a crash in which a 46-year-old bicyclist was killed.
If the woman is convicted of hitting the man with her Lexus in 2017, then she could face 11 years or longer in state prison. It’s not clear what evidence there is, but one anonymous tip stated that a woman driving a Lexus had been late to work. This suspect took her vehicle to a repair shop just one day after the hit-and-run crash, too.
The woman fought against being extradited to the United States, but she did not do so successfully. Now, she will need to face the charges and any lawsuits that the family of the cyclist wish to bring.
This is a good example of how justice may be delayed, but it could still be possible. If you lose a loved one, you may have the opportunity to pursue a claim against the at-fault driver, even if it was a hit-and-run crash.
