A Canoga Park man pleaded guilty last week to one count of each of voluntary manslaughter, evading a police officer with willful disregard, leaving the scene of an accident, grand theft auto and admission of a gang enhancement.

This guilty plea stemmed from an incident where police officers were pursuing the defendant in a stolen vehicle when the defendant struck and killed a pedestrian walking in a crosswalk.  At the time of the collision, officers had already called off the pursuit temporarily due to the defendant’s high rate of speed on city streets and failure to stop at multiple right lights and stop signs.  The plea was taken in front of Judge Karen Nudell in the Van Nuys Superior Courthouse with sentencing set for April 30.

If you have been involved in a traffic collision, you are obligated under state law to stop and identify yourself to the other party, regardless of who was at fault.  If you fail to do so, you run the risk of being arrested for hit-and-run or having an active warrant issued for your arrest.  If you find yourself in this position, the first thing to do would be to contact an aggressive criminal defense attorney to protect your rights.

Attorney Ross Erlich has represented numerous clients in hit-and-run cases at the Airport Courthouse and Metropolitan Courthouse and is familiar with the strategies and techniques that ensure the best possible outcome for you, the client.  One of these techniques is to get your hit-and-run charged dismissed outright   This is made possible under California Penal Code sections 1377 and 1378 which allows a judge to dismiss the charges, and avoid any conviction, when the victim has been fully compensated for their loss.  This is more commonly referred to as a civil compromise.

Hit-and-run cases are taken very seriously by prosecutors since they involve the damage and possible injury to the victim while the other party leaves the scene.  Thus, penalties for hit-and-runs may include jail time, up to $10,000 in fines and restrictions or a suspension of your driver’s license.

If you have been charged with a hit-and-run in Los Angeles, contact attorney Ross Erlich for a free consultation and to discuss what options are available to you.