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Reia Shapiro was killed in a hit-and-run accident on the freeway. The victim’s family wondered why; why would anyone drive away after hurting another human being on the road?The obvious answer is the fear of being punished for their mistake.

According to state law the penalty for a conviction of hit-and-run is a fine of $1,000 to $10,000 and/or imprisonment for two, three or four years. However, the legal code also states that, “.the court, in the interests of justice. may reduce or eliminate the minimum imprisonment.”

That last sentence leaves open the very real possibility that even if you accidentally run into someone while driving you have the chance to plead to the court that it was all just a stupid mistake on your part. There is no automatic prison sentence for running into someone and thendriving away. The driver who made the mistake has every opportunity to plead for mercy.

In spite of these facts, instances of hit-and-run accidents is increasing in California.

The Reia Shapiro accident is heartbreaking on multiple levels. A beautiful, talented young woman is gone. Her family and friends are hurting and will hurt for many years to come.

Those who came forward and confessed to accidentally running into Shapiro are also hurting. They had the decency to do the right thing; they took responsibility for their actions, and yet, it will live in their memories forever. Perhaps it will shape them in positive ways and they will slow down and watch the road more carefully now.

But what of the individual who ran into Shapiro and did not come forward to confess? What happens to that person?
Does that person go to work each day and pretend it didn’t happen? Does he or she look at the dents in the car and force the memory of how they got there out of his or her mind? Does this person laugh over the event with his or her friends? Does he or she break down and cry tears of anguish over it in the silence of a lonely room somewhere?

For each of us, everything we do, everything we see, feel, witness, and experience, shapes our lives. How could leaving the scene of a death shape the life of the one who most helped cause it?
Will he or she simply move forward, keep driving too fast on the 210, and keep ignoring the hurt and pain he or she has caused? It’s hard for decent people to imagine such a person, but we all know they exist.

It is said that many police officers become hard and cynical due to all the scummy people they meet in their police work. The driver who refuses to come forward in the Shapiro accident may be suffering great guilt, or he or she may just be scum.

If you happen to run into property, people, or animals while driving, don’t be the scum of society. Take responsibility for your life and your mistakes. Face up to them. You may have to pay for them in the short run, but in the long run you will be better for it. You’ll be able to face yourself in the mirror everyday, face your kids, face your friends, and face your family, and be proud that you were strong enough to deal with real life.
In the case of Reia Shapiro, hearts remain broken. The people who care for her will continuously wonder why. They may never know.

We don’t know what has become of the hit-and-run driver. Is he or she tortured with guilt and remorse and yet afraid to come forward, or is he or she laughing, relaxing, and having a good time, thinking that the accident was just like video game, only better?

Let’s hope for our sakes, and the sake of everyone we love out there driving on those freeways, that he or she is not laughing about it and will, eventually, come forward and plead for mercy.

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