Gatto introduces ‘yellow alert’ hit-and-run bill

A new piece of legislation aimed at catching hit-and-run offenders with the help of Emergency Alert System signs on freeways was introduced in the state legislature this week.

Assemblyman Mike Gatto’s (D-Silver Lake) bill, AB 47, would create a “yellow alert,” which is similar to an Amber Alert in which emergency signs on freeways are used to display vehicle descriptions.

In Los Angeles, the arrest rate for fatal hit-and-runs is 20%, according to Gatto’s office.

“These are crimes which, by their nature, occur at a high rate of speed and with clear means for fleeing the scene,” he said in a statement. “The public is almost always needed to catch those who leave fellow citizens dying on the side of the road, and AB 47 will allow us to do so promptly, before the perpetrator can get away and cover up the evidence.”
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Follow Arin Mikailian on Twitter: @ArinMikailian.

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