It is a serious crime to leave the scene of a car accident, also known as a hit and run, in the State of Florida. There are severe consequences in place for those who hit another motor vehicle and fail to carry out their statutory duties.
If you were charged with leaving the scene of an accident in St. Petersburg, then you should seek legal counsel with a criminal defense attorney who is knowledgeable on the laws of hit and run accidents. A criminal defense attorney will provide you with support and answer all of your questions and concerns in regard to your charges.
At The Law Place, we have over seventy-five years of combined experience in helping people who have been charged with leaving the scene of an accident in St. Petersburg and all over the State of Florida. Our law firm is highly trained to deal with cases ranging from minor to major hit and run accidents, and we will handle your case with skill and efficiency.
If you call our office today, we will set up a free consultation in which a St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney will explain the process to you and guide you through the legal system in the State of Florida. Our phone lines are open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Contact The Law Place to schedule a free consultation today, and a criminal defense attorney will fight against your leaving the scene of an accident charges St. Petersburg.
The Definition of Leaving the Scene of an Accident in St. Petersburg, FL.
The definition of leaving the scene of an accident, also called a hit and run, is recognized as the driver’s failure to remain at the scene of a car accident that involves property damage, injury, or death in the State of Florida.
A hit-and-run crash is when a driver collides with another motor vehicle and willfully decides to drive away, leaving property damage, injury, or death behind them. A charge of leaving the scene of an accident could potentially result in a misdemeanor or felony.
Hit and run accidents have increased by up to 32 percent since the year 2004, according to a report by the Orlando Sentinel in the year 2014. Furthermore, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FHSMV) reported close to 15,560 cases of drivers leaving the scene of an accident in the year 2013.
Statutory Requirements for Leaving the Scene of an Accident in St. Petersburg, FL.
Every driver has certain obligations to meet before they are allowed to lawfully leave the scene of an accident in St. Petersburg. The types of obligations that a driver must fulfill depends on the circumstances of the accident.
Florida Statute 316.061 and Florida Statute 316.063 require every driver to meet the following statutory duties for a car accident involving only property damage:
- Stop – The driver has to immediately stop their motor vehicle at the location of the crash or as close as they can to the site.
- Notify – The driver has to notify the owner of the motor vehicle or property that was damaged and give them their name, address, and vehicle registration number.
- License – The driver has to show their license to the other party when they ask to see it.
- Police officers – The driver has to provide their name, address, vehicle registration number, license, and other information to the police officers who are investigating the accident.
- Unattended property – The driver has to find the owner of the property in the event that they were absent from the accident. If they cannot be found, then the driver has to write a note leaving them with their name, address, and vehicle registration number for the property owner to find.
- Report – The driver has to notify law enforcement of the accident as soon as possible.
Florida Statute 316.062 and Florida Statute 316.027 require every driver to meet the following statutory duties for a car accident involving bodily injury or death:
- Stop – The driver has to immediately stop their motor vehicle at the location of the crash or as close as they can to the site.
- Notify – The driver has to notify the owner of the motor vehicle or property that was damaged and give them their name, address, and vehicle registration number.
- License – The driver has to show their license to the other party when they ask to see it.
- Police officers – The driver has to provide their name, address, vehicle registration number, license, and other information to the police officers who are investigating the accident.
- Medical assistance – The driver has to offer ‘reasonable assistance’ to the other person who was injured in the accident, which might include calling for an ambulance, taking them to the hospital, or making an arrangement for them to be transported to the hospital.
- Report – The driver has to notify law enforcement of the accident as soon as possible in the event that the other person cannot receive the information as listed above.
Penalties for Leaving the Scene of an Accident in St. Petersburg, FL.
The type of charge that a driver might receive for leaving the scene of an accident will depend on the severity of the damage caused by the crash. A St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney will investigate all of the facts surrounding your accident to determine the consequences that you could be facing and how we can build a defense strategy that will combat your charges.
The charges for leaving the scene of an accident include:
- Second-degree misdemeanor – If you left the scene of an accident that involved only property damage, then you will be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor. The penalties include paying a fine of up to $500, spending up to 60 days in jail, and 6 months of probation.
- Third-degree felony – If you left the scene of an accident that involved minor injuries, then you will be charged with a third-degree felony. The penalties include paying a fine of up to $5,000, spending up to 5 years in prison, 5 years of probation, and facing a 3-year driver’s license suspension.
- Second-degree felony – If you left the scene of an accident that involved serious bodily injury, then you will be charged with a second-degree felony. The penalties include paying a fine of up to $5,000, spending up to 15 years in prison, 15 years of probation, and a 3-year driver’s license suspension.
- First-degree felony – If you left the scene of an accident that involved the death of another person, then you will be charged with a first-degree felony. The penalties include paying a fine of up to $10,000, spending up to 30 years in prison (with a mandatory 4-year sentence), 30 years of probation, and a 3-year driver’s license suspension.
All convictions of leaving the scene of an accident involving injury or death will also include the loss of a driver’s license for a minimum of 3 years in the State of Florida.
If you were charged with leaving the scene of an accident, then you must take your charges seriously in St. Petersburg. The Law Place has managed countless hit-and-run cases, and we will be able to help you during this difficult time. We believe that you should not have to pay the price of a single mistake for the rest of your life, and we will fight to achieve a reasonable outcome for your charges. Call our office to set up a free consultation today.
We’re Florida’s top litigation team with over 75 years of combined experience
Proving the Crime of Leaving the Scene of an Accident in St. Petersburg, FL.
If you are facing charges for leaving the scene of an accident, then you will have to hire a criminal defense attorney to protect your legal rights. The prosecution is required to prove four factors in order to convict you of leaving the scene of an accident in St. Petersburg.
- You were the one operating the motor vehicle that was involved in the accident that led to property damage, injury, or death of another person.
- You were aware or should have known that you were involved in a crash.
- You willfully chose to leave the scene of an accident before calling the police or leaving the necessary identifying information to the other people involved in the crash.
- You did not offer reasonable assistance to the other person who was injured in the accident.
From the initial call to updates on your case status, we are here to get you answers.
Defenses to Leaving the Scene of an Accident in St. Petersburg, FL.
The Law Place has a number of different defense strategies to tackle your charges of leaving the scene of an accident in St. Petersburg. You will be able to get your charges reduced or dropped with the help of a criminal defense attorney who is highly trained to deal with charges of leaving the scene of an accident. A criminal defense attorney will explore every available option to decide on the best defense method that will achieve a favorable outcome for your case.
The most common defense strategies that we employ for cases of leaving the scene of an accident include:
- You lacked knowledge that a collision happened with another property, person, or motor vehicle.
- It was a case of mistaken identity.
- No property damage was actually caused by the crash.
- The other driver was aggressive or threatening and forced you to leave the location of the accident.
- The other driver refused to receive the identifying information from you.
- You thought that your motor vehicle hit an animal or debris.
- You actually did provide medical assistance within the meaning of the statute.
- You actually did stop as close as possible to the location of the crash.
- You were in the middle of an emergency situation, such as transporting a woman in labor or going to the hospital.
- Your actions and failure to stop were controlled by special circumstances.
- Your motor vehicle was stolen or was reported as being stolen during the time that the car accident happened.
A charge of leaving the scene of an accident does not always necessarily result in a conviction, even in the event that one of the above defense methods is not an option. If you hire a criminal defense attorney immediately, they will be able to make early contact with the prosecution and negotiate a more lenient solution to your hit-and-run charges. The lenient solution will help you to potentially avoid getting a prison sentence.
Common Reasons Why Drivers Leave the Scene of an Accident in St. Petersburg, FL.
The Law Place has years of experience and knowledge in assisting clients who are facing A leaving the scene of an accident charge in St. Petersburg. We have gathered the most common reasons why drivers decide to leave the scene of car accidents, and they include:
- The driver was afraid of going to jail.
- The driver did not know that a car accident occurred.
- The driver did not have a valid license.
- The driver was uninsured.
- The driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- The driver had road rage.
There is no valid excuse for a driver to ever injure another person and leave the scene of an accident in St. Petersburg. A driver will face serious consequences for failing to remain at the scene of a crash, regardless of the reason behind them fleeing. A criminal defense attorney from The Law Place will investigate the facts of your case and fight relentlessly to ensure that you and your family receive a favorable outcome.
Contact The Law Place Today in St. Petersburg, FL.
If you are facing charges of leaving the scene of an accident, then you should take all of the necessary measures to defend your rights in St. Petersburg. It is critical that you hire a criminal defense attorney to help you combat your charges and achieve a reasonable outcome for your case.
The Law Place has over seventy-five years of collective experience when it comes to fighting hit-and-run charges for clients in St. Petersburg and throughout the State of Florida. Our law firm is skilled at managing criminal cases ranging from reckless driving, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, leaving the scene of an accident, and more.
If you are seeking the best legal advice in town, then you should speak to a criminal defense attorney at The Law Place. Our law firm will help your case by investigating the accident, gathering information, speaking to the prosecutor, getting statements from eyewitnesses, developing a defense strategy, and negotiating for a more lenient resolution to your charges. Rest assured that we will work hard to achieve either a reduction to your charges or get your case dropped altogether.
Contact The Law Place to schedule a free consultation today, and a criminal defense attorney will fight against your leaving the scene of an accident charges St. Petersburg.