The Virginian-Pilot 
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, January 3, 1996             TAG: 9601030410
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT 
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                     LENGTH: Short :   45 lines

BEACH POLICE SEEK PASSENGER IN FATAL HIT-AND-RUN

Police now believe that a hit-and-run vehicle had at least one passenger when it hit and fatally injured a 47-year-old pedestrian Monday evening on Virginia Beach Boulevard.

Lou Thurston, spokesman for the Police Department, encouraged the passenger or passengers to come forward with information about the accident.

``Should any passengers come forward, they will not be prosecuted,'' Thurston said. ``However, if they do not come forward and report, they are subject to the same penalties as the driver.''

Passengers in a hit-and-run accident are granted a grace period before they become guilty of a crime. Once the grace period is over, however, the passengers face up to five years in prison for failing to report a hit-and-run accident.

Drivers must immediately stop, report the accident and provide assistance. Failure to do so carries a penalty of one to five years in the state penitentiary, Thurston said.

The identity of the victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene, had not been made public Tuesday evening.

The man was attempting to cross the eastbound lanes of Virginia Beach Boulevard on Monday, about 6:55 p.m., near the Aragona Boulevard intersection when he was struck by the hit-and-run car. The man was knocked into the path of a 1981 Buick, which hit the man and dragged him for some distance before coming to a stop.

Thurston said the hit-and-run car is described as a midsized compact, champagne gold in color. The front-seat passenger was described as having blond hair. The driver was described Monday night as possibly being a white female.

Thurston said the car probably sustained damage to its front and possibly to its windshield in the accident.

Anyone with information about the accident is urged to call Virginia Beach Crime Solvers at 427-0000.

KEYWORDS: HIT-AND-RUN ACCIDENTS ACCIDENT TRAFFIC FATALITY by CNB