City of Jackson sees spike in hit and runs, police say
CORRECTION: Edited to show that according to the Jackson Police Department, 454 reported hit and runs have been received since the start of the year; not since the beginning of July as originally reported.
JACKSON, Tenn. — The City of Jackson is seeing an unusual spike in traffic accidents following several reports throughout the day.
More than three hit and runs were reported in the Hub City and we’re taking a look at what you can do to stay safe on the roadway. The City of Jackson experienced an unusual spike in hit and run accidents today.
Sgt. Christopher Chilcote confirms a total of a least 8 hit and runs.
According to the Jackson Police Department, 454 reported hit and runs have been received since the start of the year. Here are some tips for extra safety on the roadway.
“The key thing. Be vigilant, take care of yourself first and notify authorities immediately. If you can, try to get some information or a tag number of the person that just struck you in case they decide to drive off, so at least law enforcement will have some information to work with to hopefully be able to follow up with an investigation to apprehend the person that hit you and left the scene,” said Ricky Brown with Downtown Ricky Brown Traffic Spotters Network.
According to the Tennessee Department of Safety, there were 636 traffic deaths in 2023, 548 deaths in 2024 and so far this year there have been 489 traffic deaths which is an 11% drop in traffic fatalities for the state of Tennessee.
We spoke with a former police sergeant who tells us his thoughts on traffic safety.
“It takes time to go from one point to the other point. Leave in plenty of time and don’t be in a rush. Often time we have factors on our mind that we’re trying to solve and problem we’re trying to multitask. The least little thing can set them off and they’ll take advantage of it. They’ll go into a yellow light situation even though it just turned red prior to them getting there but they’re at a speed that they cannot stop. In human nature we make mistakes. You guard against those mistakes and you safe lives,” said Harrell Carter, president of the Jackson-Madison County NAACP.
Sgt. Chilcote also shares what factors usually come into play with hit and runs.
“The majority of your hit and runs are factored for this reason. A.) Whether somebody doesn’t have a license or insurance. B.) Meaning they have something else going on like drugs and warrants, or they just didn’t realize they bumped into the vehicle or they did it,” said Sgt. Chilcote.
Authorities recommend drivers invest in a dashcam that provides a way for you to watch those around. Footage can be used as proof that can be used as evidence when accidents occur.
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