Hit-and-Runs on the Rise in the U.S.
by
Scott Goodwin on Feb. 19, 2014
Accident & Injury Car Accident Motor Vehicle Accident & Injury
Summary: Hit-and-run accidents can have dire consequences for the fleeing driver.
A hit-and-run accident is one of the most cowardly acts imaginable. And yet, it happens more often than people realize. In the context of driving, a hit-and-run is the act of being involved in an accident and knowingly failing to stop to give your name, license plate number and other information. Essentially, this dumps the burden of financial responsibility solely on the “other” victim of the accident.
In theory, it’s easy to understand why someone would feel inclined to bail from the scene of an accident. By evading the scene, the person is hoping to dodge the financial and legal consequences of being involved in an accident. If that person has a warrant for their arrest, a suspended license or any other legal issues that ban them from operating a vehicle, the motivation for fleeing an accident is even greater.
That’s one way to look at it. But as any lawyer will tell you, it’s a horrible theory that will only exacerbate your legal situation. Engaging in a hit-and-run is a misdemeanor, or a felony if the accident causes physical harm to a person. The felony carries a prison term of 6 to 12 months, as well as a $2,500 fine. The driver will also have his driver’s license suspended for 6 months to 3 years
Hit-and-run accidents don’t have to involve multiple drivers. If you’re cruising in a parking lot and ram into a parked car, but don’t bother to leave a note or find the person whose car you hit, that’s technically a hit-and-run. The same is true if you crash into somebody’s property, such as a mailbox, but don’t assume responsibility.
The odds of getting away with a hit-and-run are low. Witnesses of such accidents are conditioned to look for the car type or license plate of the fleeing vehicle. Some even take it upon themselves to chase the perpetrator until they’ve recorded his information or law enforcement has intervened.
Despite all these Good Samaritans, hit-and-run crashes are reportedly increasing in many major cities. According to a USA Today report: “Crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that the number of fatal hit-and-run crashes is trending upward, from 1,274 in 2009, to 1,393 in 2010, to 1,449 in 2011, the most recent year for which statistics were available.”
As a result of this growing epidemic, states such as Texas, Florida and Arizona are enacting tougher laws to deter people from fleeing the scene of an accident.
