AAA: Deadly hit-and-run crashes increasing across Missouri

FOX23 News at 9 p.m

ST. LOUIS — Fatal hit-and-run crashes are rising across Missouri, with new research showing a steady increase over the past decade, according to AAA Missouri.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows hit-and-run crashes accounted for 3.2% of Missouri’s fatal crashes in 2014, compared with nearly 7% in 2023.

Nationwide, about 15% of all police-reported crashes in 2023 involved a driver who fled the scene, highlighting the broader scope of the issue, AAA said.

Pedestrians are especially vulnerable. Nearly one in three pedestrian traffic deaths in Missouri now involves a hit-and-run driver, up from about 15% in 2014. In 2023 alone, 39 of the state’s 127 pedestrian fatalities involved drivers who left the scene.

Over a 10-year period from 2014 to 2023, 440 people were killed in hit-and-run crashes in Missouri. More than half were pedestrians, while one-third were vehicle occupants. Motorcyclists accounted for 8% of deaths and cyclists for 3%.

AAA officials said many of these cases remain unsolved, leaving families without answers.

Missouri law allows for up to 10 years in prison for drivers who leave the scene of a crash involving a death.

The data also shows most fatal hit-and-run crashes occur at night, with nearly three-quarters happening after dark. The highest frequency is between 6 p.m. and 1 a.m., with a peak around 9 p.m.

While Kansas City recorded slightly more pedestrian hit-and-run deaths in 2023, long-term data shows St. Louis has the highest overall number of such fatalities over the past decade. Smaller cities, including Ferguson, Jennings and Overland, also rank high when adjusted for population.

AAA is urging drivers to remain alert, especially at night, and to never leave the scene of a crash.