After a night out with friends on New Year’s Eve, John McManus was struck by a motorist and seriously injured as he helped a friend into his car. The driver who struck McManus never stopped, and McManus’ friends only caught the first two letters of the driver’s license plate.
But only a few days after the New Year’s Eve hit and run, police say they made an arrest of a suspect, 24-year-old Matthew Cooper, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Both McManus and Cooper had attended New Year's parties and were on Taylor Drive in Folcroft, reports the Inquirer. McManus, a father of two, was the designated driver and was dropping off his friends at their home. Cooper had just left a party nearby.
McManus was standing outside his vehicle when Cooper drove his Ford 500 into him. McManus suffered a collapsed lung and other injuries. Police later found Cooper's damaged vehicle and tied the accident back to him.
For his part, Cooper says that he realized he struck something, but did not think that he struck someone, reports the Inquirer. However, anytime you get into an accident, there are certain steps you should take, and fleeing is not one of them.
First, and foremost, you should always stay at the scene of the accident. You do not want to compound your problems by fleeing the scene, and Matthew Cooper probably now faces criminal liability on top of any personal injury liability.
Second, you should check on the safety of all drivers and passengers involved in the accident. If you're not sure what you hit, you should stop and look around. You shouldn't blindly make assumptions and drive off leaving someone critically injured on the road.
Third, after attending to injuries, you should exchange driver's license and insurance information with the other driver involved in the accident. You should also contact your insurance company.
The New Year's Eve hit and run suspect, Matthew Cooper, was finally caught. For not taking the proper steps following a car accident, the man could face criminal and civil penalties for striking John McManus.
Related Resources:
- Find a Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorney (FindLaw)
- Man Arrested in Delco Hit-and-Run (NBC)
- Car Accident Overview (FindLaw)
- Ask A Question about Personal Injury now (FindLaw Answers)
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