VIC:Spate of hit-runs alarms Victoria Police

AAP General News (Australia)
12-05-2010
VIC:Spate of hit-runs alarms Victoria Police

By Greg Roberts

MELBOURNE, Dec 5 AAP - Police are worried about an unusual "spate" of hit-and-runs
in Victoria over the last five months.

Until late July, there had been one hit-and-run this year. But since July 23, there
have been nine and the Major Collision Investigation Unit is worried some motorists regard
not stopping at the scene to help as "an option".

All but one of the hit-runs was fatal.

Criminal charges have been laid in four of the 10, while investigations in the other
six are "stretching their resources", Inspector Steve Smith said.

Insp Smith on Sunday appealed for help to solve a November 13 incident in Melbourne's
north in which a 35-year-old man jumped from the Sydney Road bridge and landed on the
Western Ring Road's east-bound lanes at Fawkner about 3.40pm (AEDT).

The man later died.

A dark VT or VX model Holden Commodore sedan hit the man as he lay on the road, stopped
briefly, then left.

"The driver of the sedan has driven on from the collision scene for a short distance
... Witnesses have told us that he's checked his rear vision mirror and appeared to be
looking back but, unfortunately, he failed to return to the scene," Insp Smith told reporters.

"There were three or four other vehicles that have driven around him and managed to
avoid him ... They've all stopped and assisted.

"You do have a specific and clear obligation to stop and render assistance. There were
a number of other drivers that stopped. This driver was the only one that chose not to."

The car's driver is described as being in his 40s, of Caucasian appearance, with dark
hair and was wearing prescription glasses.

Insp Smith said police were confident they would identify him.

Police also are investigating a hit-run just a couple of kilometres away on the same
freeway less than 24 hours later.

A woman, aged in her 30s, jumped from a bridge and died after being hit by four cars.

Three cars stopped but a fourth, a taxi, did not.

It has since been identified and charges could be laid against the driver, Insp Smith said.

Meanwhile, on November 4, a 24-year-old Maidstone man, originally from Zimbabwe, was
run over by two motorists and left to die in Braybrook, in Melbourne's west.

"I suspect drivers consider that there may be an option for them to leave the scene
of a collision and take their chances and may not necessarily be identified," Insp Smith
said.

"There also may be an element of copycat attached to this, as well, with these hit-runs
occurring and drivers see that as an option to leave.

"These investigations aren't closed at any point ... Some are solved fairly quickly,
with assistance from the public, via the media, from eyewitnesses or debris and paint
flakes and pieces of vehicles and so forth that are left at the scene."

Leaving the scene of an accident involving injuries or death carries a maximum penalty
of 10 years jail, Insp Smith said.



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KEYWORD: HIT

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