Shafter? At least she didn't die there.

I wish people would realise you make things worse by running away, the fact that you fled the scene makes it harder to explain your case, even if the accident wasn't your fault! 

jayh1, are you an attorney?

He has to be, OB. How else would he know all of that?

no but everybody knows its an offence to leave the scene of the accident, plus if your victim dies because you didn't stop and help then things are worse. 

jayh1, if you hit someone and injure them, and flee, it's a felony. If they die, it's still a felony. Both are covered under CVC 20001. There is no section to charge someone for not stopping and rendering aid, unless you know a law I don't know about. Do you?

OB you seem to know EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!! 

Its pretty ironic that the editorial right below this blog is titled "Get 17-year-olds involved".  Some parents today just do not raise their kids correctly.  The punks down my parents old neighborhood just broke into a vacant home and had a party, they smoke dope on the corner, and spend their summer nights hanging out on neighbor's yards littering and talking on their cell phones until 1-2am.  The punks have no respect for private property.  They are sure to end up like the punks who killed that poor old man collecting cans. 

I don't know everything jennifer. Do you? But I obviously know more than you.

I can think of three reasons you leave the sceen of a accident

1.  You are under the influence - should be in jail

2.  You have no insurance or license - should be in jail

3.  You are not a citizen - should be in jail or deported and not driving because you don't have a license or insurance

The person that hit her, even if it was not their fault had no reason to run or flee unless they should not have been driving in the first place due to one of the reasons listed above - and in my humble opinion they should rot in jail for a long time if caught and found guilty.

it is so sad that all three of these situations are allowed to take place in kern county every single day!

Lana,  my heart goes out to you and anyone that is involved in a situation such as this, but your late husbands story adds proof to my claim of "allowed to take place" the police department should set up stings looking for offenders, harsher action by the courts should take place, people should be doing real time in jail for these infractions.... I know Nancy's case is still under investigation but I would venture to say that the person that hit her should not have been driving that night due to one of the reasons listed......that is why they fled instead of trying to get her medical assistance.....and the sad fact of the matter is the reason that these people do what they do, driving under the influance, driving without insurance, or with out a license is they weigh the pro's and con's of breaking the law and more often then not, break the law because they have no reason to fear getting caught.......our public servents need to step up and take control of these matters!

if you go to "Bakersfield.com" and run a search for "hit and run" guess how many hits you will get in this small town of ours?

Results 1 - 10 of about 2800 for hit and run. Search took 0.61 seconds

2800 hits - read the stories - we have a problem here and it is being allowd to happen -

Teen to serve time for hitting 5-year-old, fleeing scene

The Bakersfield Californian | Thursday, Mar 13 2008 5:41 PM

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A teen will spend several months in a juvenile detention facility for hitting a 5-year-old girl, killing her and fleeing the scene.

Salvador Garcia Jr., 17, admitted to the hit-and-run, which resulted in the death of Erica Guerra, and to driving without a license.

Garcia struck the girl May 3 in Wasco. The crash was captured on a nearby store's videotape.

Garcia will remain on probation until his 21st birthday.

Beth Gong, juvenile probation division director with Kern County Probation, said Garcia has never been referred to probation before and will probably be released in four to six months.

Garcia's attorney, Benjamin Greene, said he asked for his client to receive no time in custody, but his request was denied.

Greene said his client did nothing to cause the girl's death -- that the crash was just an accident. His crime, the attorney said, was running from the scene.

Greene said Garcia was devastated by the death and is sorry for the family's loss.

Only Four months in jail? - killed a person? - Took a life?? no license and had no right to be driving at all.....punishment fit the crime??  I think not!!  Hence my quote of "being allowed to happen"

you may even want to re-think your "When they are caught they are dealt with" statement?

OB what makes you think you know more than me you haven't posted anything that was NEW to me?Any bored computer blogger can keep up with all the law's!!!!!Can you add?What's 2+2? 

It's being ALLOWED to happen????       Any ideas on how to control it?

17 years old...out past midnight...and the parents don't know with whom....I feel for the parents...

Now that driver that struck my daughter and took her  life has been found and dealt with why don't I feel 'closure'? I'll tell you why, there is no closure. When this man has done his time and leaves the prison my Nancy will still be dead. A lot of people on this blog have brought up that it is the parent's fault. Do you know that I had been trying for two years to get her into counselling. I knew that she had problems, but the laws are such that you can not force a teenager to go to counselling.That would be invading her personal rights. I didn't keep alcohol in the home because I knew she had a problem with it.

She did not leave the home at 1:00 in the morning the way it was reported in the news. She left at 9:30 on a July evening, it was still light out. She also left with another friend, a girl named Jennifer. It is not like I was letting her 'date' a 28 year-old man. She was supposed to be going to a friends house that lived right around the corner. i don't know how she got talked into going out to Shafter because she had told me she didn't really like that guy but he was a friend of a  friend. when they all left the room Nancy was walking and talking normal. I didn't know that it would be the last time I would ever see her. Right now I would give anything to have one more arguement with her about "Mom, what's for dinner? That again!"

Because I remember what it was like when I was 17 years old....and the trouble I was on my parents mind---I got my fanny into the Marines---redirected all that energy and got focused on life...you remember--at 17--you knew it all and no one could tell you anything.....