FHP kicks off hit-and-run awareness campaign

39-year-old Jason Rodeghier killed in hit-and-run Monday morning

ORLANDO, Fla. – At the kickoff to Florida Highway Patrol's hit-and-run awareness campaign, officers announced another life lost on the road.

"As unfortunately we are here to discuss hit-and-run's we had another fatal crash this morning," said Sgt. Kim Montes, public information officer for Florida Highway Patrol.

FHP said the victim is 39-year-old Jason Rodeghier.

In 2015, officers across the state of Florida investigated 92,623 hit and run crashes where 186 people were killed. That number is up from 2014 with 85,155 hit-and-run investigations and 175 deaths.

Jamie McWilliams and Tina Esposito, two mothers who lost their children to hit-and-run crashes, spoke about the importance of an effort to teach drivers the consequences of leaving the scene.

"She took my life. She took my children, my one and only daughter is gone. She didn't give her the chance to fight for life. And for my son he has brain injury permanently," said Esposito.

Last week News 6 Investigators uncovered a loophole in a new law, showing that impaired drivers are avoiding the penalties for sticking around after a crash involving property damage, or personal injury.

"We know that's probably the biggest reason that people leave, and if they would only realize that their charges maybe lessened to just a misdemeanor DUI, had they stayed. Stay and face the punishment for what you've done and then you don't have a leaving-the-scene charge facing you," said Montes.

FHP is using this awareness campaign to highlight the increasing problem, and get results for the families still fighting for justice in hit-and-run cases.


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