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It was not the shattered window, cuts or bone bruises that hurt the most. It was the lack of justice that cut far deeper. On the run from law enforcement, a driver ran a neighborhood stop sign to collide with my vehicle's driver side at around 65 miles per hour. My vehicle collided with several things before its final collision with a house. When I woke up, my swollen knees only got me to the curb before I sat and awaited an ambulance. It was evident that the other driver had fled the scene. Although an upside down and demolished car remained next to mine, no driver could be accurately identified for prosecution. Relief is not promised after injustice.
Unfortunately, less than 10% of hit-and-run drivers are arrested and successfully prosecuted in the criminal court, says Solution Now. There needs to be more effort to hold those accountable who are at fault through prosecution. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety explains that hit-and-run crashes and fatalities are increasing, and a hit-and-run happens within the U.S. every 43 seconds. It is likely several crashes have occurred while you've been reading this article.
This needs to be addressed, and why not work to protect those within our state of Minnesota? Section 169.09 of the Minnesota statutes covers hit-and-run collisions. The state does a nice job covering all of the subdivisions and addressing the different types of hit-and-runs as well as their consequences. The problem lies in the enforcement of these consequences.
Several states have worked to reduce this negative statistic, and Minnesota needs to take steps to do the same. California has used an Amber Alert-like system to alert people of a vehicle description once a crash occurs at the result of a hit-and-run. The alerts have been called "yellow alerts," according to California Highway Patrol. A serious injury from the accident or a fatality is required for a yellow alert to be sent out. The system has proved to be a more successful alternative than deterrence through greater legal penalties. Implementing one like that here is my proposal to bring more attention to hit-and-run accidents as well as a higher prosecution rate.
The alert may only be sent if there is a description that may permit identification such as: a full or partial license plate, make and model of the vehicle, damage to the vehicle or any other identifying factors. This would assist those who have suffered the most from hit-and-run accidents and will hopefully be a step toward narrowing that prosecution percentage. These yellow alerts should be in place in Minnesota.
A push against this alert system may be made. People may perceive it as a distraction from the Amber Alerts system. However, the alerts need not be identical. The Amber Alert has a well-known sound and symbol associated with it. The hit-and-run alert system may be a short ding and notification, including the details provided by a victim or witness, rather than an extensive alarm and vibration. This way, the alert systems will vary, and the Amber Alert remains a solid and efficient system to help identify individuals or their vehicles.
It is my recommendation that Minnesota follows the states that implemented this new yellow alert system and develop strategies to mend the lack of justice for those who were seriously injured or lost their life in a hit-and-run vehicular accident. This could be yellow alerts, additional street cameras at busy intersections or new research. The main takeaway is that there needs to be more effort.
Although time has passed since my vehicle was struck, things serve as consistent reminders that I missed a month of school, months of athletics and a piece of my college experience. All of this while the driver at fault walks free of punishment, having been able to flee while I was unconscious. There needs to be a change, and it needs to be now. A yellow alert system is the first step in the right direction and should be implemented in Minnesota.
Alexie Stephani is a student at Mitchell Hamline School of Law.
