The D.C. metro region is well known for its bumper-to-bumper traffic, and that traffic can be deadly, too.
D.C. leads the nation in fatal hit-and-runs, according to AAA.
Hit-and-run accidents can be those where there's loss of property -- like the recent incident on Euclid Street NW where a car smashed in to several others -- or those where there’s a loss of life – like over the weekend, when Sandy Beltran died after being struck on Route 3 in Bowie, Md.
"We have the highest percentage of hit-and-run deaths in the country,” said John Townsend, of AAA. “We have the highest rate of drivers who hit or kill or maim a driver who flees the scene.”
Maryland State Police said they’ve identified the driver in the hit-and-run that killed Beltran.
“Based on news accounts, the parents of the driver realized that their son had been involved in this crash and had him turn himself in,” said Roger Newell, of Maryland State Police.
While the circumstances of that incident have yet to be fully determined, in many hit-and-runs there are some reoccurring reasons why drivers run, including suspended or expired licenses, lack of insurance, and intoxication, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.
Between 2000 and 2009, there were 76 hit-and-run deaths in D.C., 279 in Maryland and 217 in Virginia, according to AAA.
AAA suggested adopting hit-and-run campaigns the way there campaigns against aggressive driving and road rage.
Follow NBC Washington to get the latest news, events and entertainment anytime, anywhere: on air, online, and on Facebook // Twitter.
