When a large truck hits a motorcycle, the result can be fatal. A man driving a box truck in Miami recently ran a red light, hit a motorcyclist and sped off. The man tried to get away, but with the help of four witnesses, the man was quickly found and apprehended by police.
The motorcycle accident occurred on Oct. 28. A government employee drove through the intersection of North Miami Ave and 45th street without stopping at the stop sign. The driver then hit the motorcyclist and fled the scene.
However, it didn’t take long to track him down. There were four witnesses, including a woman who followed the box truck and took photos with her cell phone. Armed with this evidence, police were able to catch the 64-year-old hit-and-run driver. He was arrested and charged with unknown crimes.
The motorcyclist survived, but he is still in critical condition. He is currently at Ryder Trauma Center in the Intensive Care Unit. He is well-known throughout the community as the owner of Miami tattoo parlor Hell Bound City Tattoo, the first of its kind in the neighborhood. Employees and friends are raising money to pay for his medical expenses and his family’s travel expenses so they can visit from their home country of Argentina. The man has no immediate family in the United States.
It is fortunate that witnesses were able to identify and track down the driver. Many hit-and-run accidents go unsolved because the driver is never found. There is now a liable party to use, which means that when the man’s family comes to town, one of the first things on their list – besides visit the injured man – should be to pursue legal action. A lawsuit can help a victim recover compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and other damages.
Source: Miami New Times, “Hell Bound City Tattoo Founder Esteban Dalpra Left in ICU After Hit-and-Run Motorcycle Crash” Swampdog, Oct. 30, 2013
