The New York Post reports that a driver and his passenger were hospitalized early Friday morning after being struck on the Bayonne Bridge by another motorist. The hit and run driver then fled in the vehicle of a man who had stopped to see if he could assist at the scene. The stolen truck was later recovered, however the hit and run driver has not yet been apprehended.
As this blog has discussed previously, the New York Vehicle and Traffic Law mandates that when the driver of a motor vehicle knowingly causes damage to the personal property of another, he or she must stop and identify himself to the other driver. NYVTL section 600(1)(a). In this case the driver certainly would have known that at the very least he caused damage to the other vehicle, even if unaware of personal injuries to the vehicle’s occupants. Additionally, depending upon the value of the subsequently stolen truck, the hit and run driver may well be charged with grand larceny in the third or fourth degree. New York Penal Code 155.30; 155.35.
The full story can be found here in the New York Post.