Washington law enforcement agents were able to solve a fatal hit-and-run accident case thanks to Twitter. It goes to show that asking for help works.
Washington State Police opened an investigation into a fatal hit-and-run accident without too much information. So they shared an image of a part that fell from the vehicle that fatally hit a bicyclist online.
The roadway is open SR7/320th. Troopers and detectives are still looking for a black vehicle believed to be involved in this mornings tragic bicyclist fatality. If you know anything regarding this collision, please call the Washing State Patrol. pic.twitter.com/pafJLeh54i
— Trooper John Dattilo (@wspd1pio) August 9, 2018
Troopers were afraid they had very little evidence to find the culprit behind the August 9 accident. But once the images were uploaded online, a user in the Reddit channel r/whatisthisthing discovered that the only black vehicle piece they had belonged to a mid-1980s Chevrolet Silverado truck headlight bezel.
With this piece of information at hand, troopers were finally able to identify the culprit. They also got an anonymous tip that helped.
In no time, police then solved the accident, which claimed the life of a cyclist.
This reminds us that whether we like it or not, the internet can truly be a research hub for everyone. Even the police. And in this case, we glad about that.
Hit-And-Run Accidents Continue To Claim Lives
Officials in Washington continue to deal with serious accidents caused by hit-and-run drivers, and as this accident shows, it’s not that easy to solve them quickly.
Still worse than not finding the culprit right away is these accidents are claiming lives.
Distracted driving, drunk driving, or drowsy driving are often behind these accidents, and drivers will often flee the scene either because they didn’t notice they hit someone or because they panic. But leaving the scene of an accident will only make it more likely for you to be in trouble with the law.
This tragic accident reminds every driver in Washington that focusing on the road and being a responsible driver is the only way to avoid accidents. And if you’re ever involved in an accident, stay at the scene until authorities arrive.
For more on how troopers were able to find the driver involved in this hit-and-run, follow this link.
