Why is hit-and-run such a great crime?

Today's Charlottesville Daily Progress front page story by Liesel Nowak is about a man who was driving to work last November 29.

He wasn't speeding nor was there evidence of alcohol or drug use.

Martha E. Jones, a 19-year-old Charlottesville woman, was on the same road, headed for the Charlottesville airport to pick up a friend.

Her Volkswagen Jetta swerved to the right onto the shoulder.

Her car then went across the road, hit an embankment, flipped, and ended up back on the road.

Jones managed to crawl out of the passenger side window and onto the road.

As she crawled across the road she was hit by the man's truck.

Her neck was instantly broken on impact and she was killed.

The man had not done anything wrong.

One week later the man was arrested based on tips from the local Crimestoppers hot line.

Police found several blond hairs on the undercarriage of his Ford Ranger pickup: they were a match for the dead woman.

The Commonwealth of Virginia's prosecuting attorney said that the man knew he had hit someone but did not stop.

The man pleaded guilty yesterday to felony hit-and-run driving.

He faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced May 31.

He was guilty not of killing the girl but of leaving the scene of what was not alleged to be a crime.

Isn't it anyone's first instinct to flee when something terrible happens?

I know it would be mine.

I wouldn't do it — I hope.

But once upon a time in a childhood far, far away I did run.

And I'd do it again if I were in the same situation.

Here is what happened.

I was 13 years old and I'd stolen some ham from a local supermarket.

I wanted to see if I could make smoked ham.

I stole some matches, then put the package of ham (opened) in the glove compartment of a truck in the parking lot of Schwartzburg Chevrolet, at 50th and Lisbon Avenue in Milwaukee.

I put some crumpled paper into the glove box and lit it.

Smoke filled the glove compartment and I got really excited.

But when it started filling the passenger cabin I got really scared.

So I ran home.

Two days later a Milwaukee policeman came to my house.

He said a small boy with a red sweatshirt was seen running from the scene.

I said, so?

He said everyone in the neighborhood knew I always wore a red sweatshirt.

I said so what — lots of people wear red sweatshirts.

He said Joe, we know it was you.

I said no, it wasn't me.

He said if another "event" happened there would be major repercussions for me.

I didn't say anything.

And that's all I have to say about that.

But it's the issue of being sent to prison for ten years for fleeing the scene of a non-crime that troubles me.

I know the principle is that she might not have been dead and the man could then have rendered assistance.

But she was dead, so there was no change possible in the outcome had he obeyed the law, stopped, and called the police.

I don't know, it's just sad and depressing.

There must be a better way to deal with situations like this but I must say I cannot come up with one.

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