Author: Jamie Weltzer, Granada High School
📍Livermore, CA

Rationality is a distinguishable human characteristic that allows people to reason and make choices that benefit them in the long term. Imagine driving home late one rainy night when you encounter a homeless man unexpectedly stumbling in front of your car. Even though you hit the brakes as fast as you could, you collide with him. No one witnesses the accident, and I am faced with a dilemma: Should I make an anonymous report, confess my involvement to the cops, or drive away and forget about it? While there are moral concerns against confessing or ignoring the incident, reporting the incident anonymously, is the most ethical choice because it is the solution that protects both the reporter and the homeless man the most. 

The first reason I use to defend my claim is that it is the most moral choice out of the other decision. One option of leaving the homeless man in the street to potentially die is immoral because I would selfishly choose to protect myself even though a man is dying. Since we have a moral duty to help others in need, when we see a person in need of dire help, we have a responsibility to try to help them because they are vulnerable and desperate. This is especially true in cases where the victim is vulnerable or unable to help themselves. In a hit-and-run case, the victim may be seriously injured or even killed. The driver who flees the scene of the crime is abandoning the victim and leaving them to suffer the consequences of their actions which is selfish since he would be protecting himself just because of his cowardly scaredness of facing consequences.  By reporting the case anonymously, we can help to ensure that the victim receives the adequate help they deserve while also not harming the person who committed the accident. The other option of not anonymously reporting the accident is morally right because it follows the laws of the justice system but is detrimental to my social morality. In this scenario, turning yourself in at the police station shows responsibility which is a principle of morality but in my case, it is not morally right since it wasn’t right for me to face consequences for an action that was the homeless man’s fault. Morality is the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. For me to suffer in jail or fines that were not my fault would be immoral because it wasn’t my fault the homeless man was on the road. 

Another reason choosing to anonymously report is the best option is that legal consequences are often exaggerated without concern to a situation. Confessing to a hit-and-run accident, even if no one is seriously injured, is a serious offense with legal consequences. Depending on the state, the driver may face charges of reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, or even vehicular assault. In addition to the legal penalties, confessing could also lead to a social stain and damage to the driver’s reputation. If the homeless man is killed in the accident the justice system would still count it as third-degree murder, because a person was killed. In this scenario, it was technically the homeless man’s fault for jaywalking and an accident not intended for murder but, I would still face exaggerated consequences. On the other hand, ignoring the accident and driving away is morally reprehensible. It is the driver’s responsibility to help the injured person and to report the incident to the authorities. Failing to do so could leave the victim without medical attention and could also lead to the driver being charged with a crime if they are eventually caught. Although in court this statement could be used there wouldn’t be enough proof because of the rain and the conditions of the day and staying in jail would not be teaching me any consequences of driving better since I have had a perfect driving record in the past and this man messed it up. 

Lastly, making an anonymous report is often safer for the individual since they might face consequences beyond what they deserve. People may argue that making an anonymous report seems cowardly or it allows the driver to avoid responsibility for their actions. However, the main goal of anonymous reporting is to protect the victim and to ensure that justice is served. In some cases, making an anonymous report may be the only way to achieve these goals. For example, if the driver is afraid of retaliation from the victim or from other people involved in the accident, making an anonymous report may be the safest way to proceed. Additionally, if the driver is undocumented or otherwise vulnerable to legal deportation, making an anonymous report may be the only way to ensure that the victim receives the help they need. 

The decision to make an anonymous report in a hit-and-run case is the most ethical choice compared to the other ones. By doing so, it fulfills a moral duty to seek justice, avoid legal consequences, and preserve the integrity and conscience of the driver. In similar situations, People must remember that actions define our character, and choosing the rational path ultimately contributes to a truly just and compassionate society.