On June 17, 2023, the Sacramento Bee published a news story by Ryan Lillis discussing the staggering death toll left by hit-and-run drivers in Sacramento, California. Lillis notes that "nearly 140 people were killed in hit-and-run crashes in Sacramento County between 2018 and 2022, according to a Sacramento Bee
analysis of law enforcement and coroner reports. At least 86 of the victims were pedestrians, while the rest were bicyclists, passengers in cars or riding motorcycles. Five of the victims were younger than 17 and four were over the age of 80."
SafeTREC Safety Research Lead Julia Griswold was interviewed for the news story, and discussed this tragic trend. Referencing a SafeTREC study she helped lead on factors associated with hit-and-run pedestrian fatalities, Griswold shared that the research showed that drivers responsible for deadly hit-and-runs were likely to be young men with prior traffic violations or a license suspension. When drivers were caught, “positive blood content (for alcohol) and a prior DUI significantly increased the risk of leaving the scene,” Griswold said. She also noted the importance of prevention. "Preventing that crash in the first place, that’s the most important thing and designing a transportation system where severe and fatal injuries do not happen.”
Read the full story by Ryan Lillis.