A startling new report from AAA shows that hit-and-run crash deaths are at an all-time high with more than one happening every minute on U.S. roads.
The report published Thursday indicates that over a seven-year period, these kinds of crashes went up by 60 percent resulting in thousands of deaths a year.
AAA said more than one hit-and-run crash happens every minute. In 2016, these crashes killed 2049 people – the highest death toll on record.
It was a 60 percent increase since 2009.
Researchers also found that almost 65 percent of people killed in hit-and-run crashes were pedestrians or bicyclists – that's 13 out of every 20.
Metro Nashville currently has nine open hit and run cases dating back to 2014. One of the most recent cases that remains unsolved happened on May 4, 2016 when a light-colored pickup truck hit 53-year-old Roman Alvarez as he was riding his bike to work.
#NEW - More than 1 hit-and-run crash happens every minute on U.S. roads acc to a new study by @AAAnews - MNPD has 9 unsolved hit-and-runs since 2014- here’s surv video of the most recent one from 2016. https://t.co/N5umc9D98k
— Sophie N-K (@SophieNC5) April 26, 2018
Surveillance video showed the truck traveling down Old Hickory Boulevard near Fields Drive just before 5 a.m. and hit Alvarez, who police say was wearing a reflective vest and helmet.
Alvarez was seriously hurt and the driver took off.
