A truck driver accused of hitting and killing a 78-year-old woman as she walked across the street is looking at serious charges. The mother of eight was walking to church Monday morning when she was struck by the truck driver near the interchange of Northwest 12th Avenue and 60th Street. Family members have identified the victim as Fannie Ash. She was a housekeeper at Cedars Hospital who recently retired. Fannie Ash was known as a hard worker who was dedicated to her family.
Authorities are reporting Ash was hit by a drunk driver, who at first fled the scene of the accident. The driver was urged by his family members to return to the scene. Miami Police Traffic Homicide Sgt. Luis Taborda confirmed the driver was arrested for DUI when he returned to where the accident happened. The driver has been identified as Howard Marty Leven. There was a field sobriety test conducted on Leven before he was arrested.
The victim’s family says they do understand mistakes can be made and accidents do happen, but they are going through a very difficult time right now and want to find some sort of closure. Howard Marty Leven is being charged with of leaving the scene of a fatal accident and DUI manslaughter.
Pedestrian Accidents Due to Driver Negligence
People who drive a vehicle need to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances. Not doing this is where negligence comes in. Examples of this include not yielding the right of way to pedestrians on a crosswalk, disregarding traffic signals, driving carelessly in poor weather and road conditions, failing to follow the speed limit, checking emails, texting while driving and driving under the influence.
Hit and Run Accidents
What can seem even more shocking than a car accident is when you realize the other driver is trying to leave the scene of the accident they may have caused. How could they do this? How could they not even care if you or anyone else in the car is ok or needs medical attention? A hit-and-run driver could have warrants for their arrest, operating a vehicle without insurance or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Broward County Hit and Run Accidents Are on the Rise
Broward County was number two on the list of Florida counties with highest number of hit-and-run accidents. Even though Miami-Dade retains the top spot, their hit-and-run accidents decreased by a few thousand from the previous year; while Broward County hit-and-run accidents increased by 8% from 2011 to 2012. With reports showing that 3 out of 5 hit-and-runs involve pedestrians, what has also increased with these types of accidents is the number of fatalities.
After an accident, a person can be left with several questions. If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident and are not sure of what to do next, please contact our law office and one of our attorneys will gladly answer your questions and address your concerns. We are based out of Fort Lauderdale and help accident victims throughout the state of Florida.