When you are involved in an automobile accident, both parties are required by law to stop their vehicles and to wait for the police. It is permissable for both parties to agree to solve the problem between themselves, but if one person leaves the scene of the accident, it is called a hit and run, and is illegal.
There is only one reason why people flee the scene of an accident, and that is because they hope to avoid responsibility. Perhaps that don’t have insurance coverage on their vehicle, or maybe they have warrants issued for their arrest. Whatever the reason, hit and run accidents are considered crimes, and if you are caught fleeing the scene of an accident, you will most likely be arrested.
It is a priority for law enforcement to find the perpetrators of hit and run accidents. As soon as the other party calls the police, they will give a detailed description of the other car and the police will scour the area to search for it.
Just two weeks ago, for example, I was driving down Highway 6 in Houston. I was pulled over by a policeman and I couldn’t figure out what I had done wrong. As it turned out, there was a hit and run accident just a few blocks south of where I was pulled over, and my SUV matched the description given by the victim. The officer looked my car over for damage and then allowed me to go.
If the victim is injured in a hit and run accident, the penalties for the other driver will be much more severe. In fact, a death caused by a hit and run accident is a felony in all fifty U.S. states. Hit and run drivers are rarely given the sympathy of the courts, and are almost always assigned the maximum sentence.
If you are involved in a hit and run accident, the first thing you should do is write down the license plate of the other vehicle if at all possible. Note the color of the car, the type of vehicle and any physical characteristics of the driver. Sometimes, due to time or to injury, this isn’t possible, but do the best you can.
Call the police from your cellular phone or from a nearby pay phone and give the information about the other car to the police so they can begin searching immediately. The general rule of thumb is that if the car isn’t found within an hour after the accident, it probably won’t be found at all.
Wait for the police to arrive and try to stay as calm as possible. Explain the details of the accident to the officer and request a copy of the police report. If the perpetrator of the hit and run accident is caught, you might have to make a physical identification, but many are not found.
A hit and run driver is responsible not only for his or her criminal actions, but also for civil damages related to the accident. You can take that individual to civil court to collect for medical damages and damages to your car.
Remember that drivers in hit and run accidents can be punished by fines or by incarceration. The sentence will be more severe if there are drugs and alcohol involved or if the victim is injured or killed in the accident.
