Driver Kills Man in Hit-and-Run Accident

Posted on September 21, 2012

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When a car accident occurs, many people have an instinct to run away and not take responsibility for their actions. Hitting a car is stressful, daunting, and scary—many people do not know how to reaction to these kind of situations. However, running away from the scene is one of the worst things to do. The victim of a car collision could have been badly hurt and needing help; running away will deprive them from the immediate assistance. In addition, hit-and-run cases leave questions about how the incident happened and what transpired.

On Wednesday, September 19, three people were arrested for involvement in an accident which resulted in a wrongful death. Javier Acevedo, a 25-year old male, was hit by a car and left on the scene. The three suspects claimed that someone had hijacked their car, gotten into the accident, then drove the car back to their driveway and left it there. Obviously this scenario seems suspicious.

Bounmee Vougpanya, 38, reported his white compact Toyota vehicle stolen on August 21. The Visalia police inspected the car and saw the damages and began to investigate. Afterwards, the policemen began receiving news stories of a wanted white compact or mid-sized vehicle that was involved in a hit-and-run near Hanford. The police proceeded to investigate the Vougpanya family.

A few days ago, Bounmee, his wife, and his brother Lao were arrested on suspicion of insurance fraud and conspiring to commit a crime. Vougpanya will be charged with felony hit-and-run for Acevedo’s death. Police believe that he was the only person in the car at that time.

The initially incident happened at around 3 a.m. on August 19. Investigators are piecing together what transpired. Apparently Acevedo’s car broke down on Highway 198 while heading to work. Since the car was broken, Acevedo began to walk to his destination. When he reached Seventh Avenue, a white car slammed into him, leaving his body on the road. The driver drove away without offering aid.

Hit-and-runs are against the law and rightfully so. A negligent driver must face the consequences of his or her actions and not run away from responsibilities. Vougpanya made it worse by lying about his stolen car and creating a conspiracy with his family. When he could have helped the young man, he instead lied and schemed.

This wrongful death accident is misfortunate and saddening. The family of the young man must be mourning the loss of their relative. If you have ever lost a loved one to a wrongful death accident, contact a car accident attorney today.