Hit-and-run auto accident sends Worcester woman to hospital

It is often said in the greater Boston area that a car accident can occur in the amount of time it takes someone to cross a street. Out in Worcester on Feb. 24 that turned out to literally be the case. A 24-year-old woman was crossing Park Avenue near Parker Street with another woman when they were both struck by a car shortly before 11 p.m. The auto accident turned into a hit-and-run incident when the driver turned off his headlights and drove away. The second woman appeared to escape serious injury and assisted at the scene, but the first was transported to the University of Massachusetts Medical Center - University Campus with multiple injuries.

Police say they are searching for a Toyota, Nissan or Honda with four doors that may have sustained damage from the auto accident to its front and possibly to the windshield. A witness said the pair was in a crosswalk moving from east to west when the force of the collision forced the more seriously injured woman to land on the hood and windshield of the car before falling to the ground. She suffered injuries to her head as well as he neck, shoulder and arms. Further word on her medical condition was not immediately disclosed. Police closed Park Avenue to photograph the scene of the car crash from numerous angles, and the investigation is ongoing.

While the focus of the victim's family and friends is understandably on her recovery from the hit-and-run auto accident, they will likely also want the driver apprehended. In addition to potential criminal charges, the victim may elect to pursue a claim for personal injuries against any parties deemed negligent in the collision. In the greater Boston area and throughout Massachusetts, these types of claims are authorized by law to collect monetary damages from those that negligently cause injury. The damages may include medical expenses, lost wages and other expenses as well as pain and suffering occasioned by the injuries. The victim and her family will benefit from reviewing any accident report together with further information from the authorities and other evidence as they decide whether a claim is appropriate.

Source: Worcester Telegram, "Police seek vehicle after hit and run injures Worcester woman," Jacqueline Reis, Feb. 24, 2012