Woman Hit by Truck in South Charleston Suffers Skull Fracture

September 24, 2010 - South Charleston, W.Va. - A woman was sent to the hospital last week when a truck backed into her and caused her to fall to the ground, suffering a serious head injury.

The Charleston Gazette reports that the incident happened just after midnight on September 17. A criminal complaint filed with the Kanawha County Magistrate describes a series of events in which Phillip Hicks, 26, approached 4 people gathered on Glendale Avenue.

Hicks is then said to have engaged in a heated argument with a woman-Stephanie Keen, of South Charleston-who was standing in the group. Another man stepped in to break up the argument, but in doing so, began to fight with Hicks himself. According to the complaint, the man tried to strike Hicks but missed.

After this confrontation, Hicks appeared to be leaving the scene, getting into his truck and pulling forward. Then Hicks suddenly put the truck into a quick reverse towards the group. Keen was hit by the truck and fell on the pavement and fractured her skull. Keen was transported to Charleston Area Medical Center General Hospital and has since been released.

Hicks claimed that his vehicle had been stolen on the night of the accident. According to Hicks, he was called by a friend who said he saw his vehicle speeding away. However, no evidence of this call appeared on Hicks' cell phone and he matches the description in the complaint.

Charges against Hicks include one felony charge of malicious wounding or unlawful assault.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 2008 West Virginia Crash Statistics show that there were 380 fatalities as a result of car accidents in West Virginia.

In an effort to raise awareness of common factors in serious and fatal car accidents in West Virginia, our firm routinely publishes news items about traffic crashes in our region.

Common West Virginia accidents include, but are not limited to:

 

• single-car crashes;
• tractor-trailer accidents;
• accidents caused by hazardous road conditions; and
• distracted driver crashes.

 

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