A campaign to change the law around hit-and-run offences has been launched after a Suffolk suspect escaped to London, but police had to stop investigating after six months.
Joe Luccarini sustained a C1 fracture to the neck after being hit by a car in a hit-and-run in Ehringshausen Way in Haverhill on August 13 and has since experienced continuous neck pain and psychological trauma.
Five days later, the main suspect being investigated escaped to an undisclosed location in London and went under the radar.
The suspect was then able to evade the police's enquiries with agencies in the region for six months and did not show up on the police national computer or with road agencies.
Consequently, due to stipulations in the law under the Road Traffic Offenders Act, which state that with such a ‘Summary Offences' police must cease investigations after six months, the case was closed in February.
However, his family says this law is wrong and does not serve justice to the victims of hit-and-runs who still suffer knowing the perpetrator is free.
Tim Passmore, Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk, said he agrees in situations like this, the law needs to be looked at.
He said: "I don't think it's justifiable that someone can slip under the radar and get away with injuring someone after six months.
"It sends the wrong message to the public and to the victim, and it's not right.
"It seems like the slate is almost wiped clean and it's clearly not justice done.
"I would support a review looking at changing the law so someone can not run into you and get away with it after six months."
He noted that it also needed to be made easier for the case to be reopened if new evidence came to light and feels the law prevents the police from supporting victims.
Emily Luccarini, speaking on behalf of her brother, says she is writing to Nick Timothy, her local MP, about the issue and is beginning a campaign to make some "long overdue change".
She said: "It's ludicrous that someone can cause serious injury, fail to stop, and effectively escape accountability simply because six months have passed.
"This loophole sends a damaging message to victims and to the wider public that justice has an expiry date.
"At the very least, I feel there should be provisions for cases like this to be reopened when new evidence comes to light, so that victims are not left without hope."
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