Hit and Run Driver Arrested Four Years After Fatal Crash
Hit and Run Driver Arrested Four Years After Fatal Crash
Los Angeles police have arrested a woman on suspicion of striking and killed Paul Grover, a 62-year-old jogger in Westchester. According to a KTLA news report, Grover died a day after being struck while jogging along Lincoln Boulevard and Bluff Trail Road near Loyola Marymount University early morning on Jan. 9, 2014. He died of multiple blunt force injuries. Police said physical evidence left inside the car led police to Brittnee Crawford.
Lengthy Investigation and Arrest
She initially stopped after the crash and told a witness she would take Grover to a hospital. But, a witness told her to wait for police and paramedics. When police arrived at the scene, Crawford reportedly fled the scene. Another witness who saw Crawford described her as “highly intoxicated.” After two years of building the case, police obtained an arrest warrant for Crawford in February of 2016 charging her with vehicular manslaughter and felony hit and run.
But, officers could not find Crawford who kept moving between Moreno Valley, Perris and Las Vegas. Her boyfriend, Joshua Walker, is accused of providing false information that stalled detectives, officials said. Detectives arrested Crawford last week when she returned to California. Walker was also arrested on suspicion of being an accessory after the fact. However, Crawford cannot be charged with DUI because it wasn’t possible to prove without blood test results, police said.
Holding Hit-and-Run Drivers Accountable
We are relieved to note that the driver in this case was apprehended and will be brought to justice. We also hope this arrest gives the victim’s family some sense of justice and closure. It is unfortunate that the defendant could not be charged with a DUI. This is extremely common in hit-and-run cases. A vast majority of hit-and-run drivers also tend to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. But, when they flee the scene, it is not possible to draw a blood sample and test their blood alcohol concentration. Under California law, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle when your BAC is 0.08 percent or higher.
Injured hit-and-run victims and families of those who have been killed in such accidents go through financial challenges that come with the death of a family member and the medical expenses that come with treating serious injuries. In addition, they struggle emotionally and psychologically, being unable to hold the wrongdoer accountable. Our Los Angeles hit and run lawyers are committed to hold these wrongdoers accountable and securing justice and fair compensation for the injured victims and families we represent.
