Last month, a pedestrian was struck successively by three vehicles, dragged a mile down the road by one of them, and left at a gas station on Thanksgiving. The arrest came on December 16th when Y. Thompson identified herself as one of the drivers and turned herself in.
The victim, Jihad Mohammad, was standing on the side of the road at a crosswalk at the intersection of Adams Blvd. and West View Street when he was hit by a white car that knocked him to the ground. Surveillance footage showed the vehicle speeding off while the victim lay motionless in the street. Shortly thereafter, footage showed that a white Cadillac Seville hit the victim for a second time and then sped away.
Another motorist pulled over to attempt to help the victim, but at that moment, a gray Ford Focus ran over him again – this time dragging the victim beneath the vehicle for about a mile. The motorist pulled into a gas station to find out what was going on with her vehicle when she discovered the victim beneath it. She reversed to dislodge him, then drove away.
Hit-and-run, when it includes injury, is covered under California Vehicle Code 20001 VC and makes it a crime to leave the scene of an accident when a person has been injured or killed. VC 20001 is a “wobbler” that can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the circumstances of the case and the defendant’s prior criminal history. If charged as a misdemeanor, the potential penalties include up to 1-year informal probation and/or 1 year in county jail. If charged as a felony, the potential penalties include imprisonment for up to 4 years and a fine of between $1,000 and $10,000.
At a press conference, LAPD Chief Michael Moore warned the public not to become criminals by leaving the scene of an accident. The person who did the hitting isn’t always the one who was at fault, and it’s imperative to contact authorities if you’re ever involved in a collision.
