Fatal hit-and-run crashes: Factors associated with leaving the scene.

Introduction: Hit-and-run crashes are a criminal offense that leave the victim without prompt medical care or the ability to receive financial compensation.

Method: The purpose of the current study was to quantify the factors associated with the probability that a driver leaves the scene of a fatal crash, using multiple imputation to incorporate information from drivers who were never apprehended and thus whose characteristics were unknown.

Results: The results of this study show that in addition to driver, vehicle, and environmental factors having significant impacts on the likelihood of a driver fleeing the scene, economic and demographic factors are important as well.