February is Hit and Run Awareness month and the Florida Highway patrol is reminding all motorists that it is the law to Stay at the Scene when involved in a crash.
In 2023, there were over 104 thousand hit and run crashes in Florida leading to 871 serious injuries and 271 deaths.
159 of the hit-and-run fatalities in 2023 were pedestrians and 49 were bicyclists, totaling 76% of hit-and-run fatalities last year.
84 percent of hit-and-run crashes last year occurred at night or during dimly lit time periods.
Under Florida law, a driver MUST stop immediately at the scene of a crash on public or private property, which results in property damage, injury, or death.
If a driver flees the scene, the situation becomes even worse.
If the crash involves property damage, leaving the scene is classified as a second-degree misdemeanor with penalties of up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
Leaving the scene of a crash with injuries is a second- or third-degree felony, and a driver, when convicted, will have their driver's license revoked for at least three years and can be sentenced up to five years in prison and incur a $5,000 fine.
Drivers leaving the scene of a crash with a fatality could be sentenced up to 30 years in prison and incur a $10,000 fine.
The most important thing a driver can do when he is involved in a crash is to Stay at the Scene and call for help.
The public is encouraged to report hit and run crashes by dialing *FHP (*347).
In 2023, there were over 104 thousand hit and run crashes in Florida leading to 871 serious injuries and 271 deaths.
159 of the hit-and-run fatalities in 2023 were pedestrians and 49 were bicyclists, totaling 76% of hit-and-run fatalities last year.
84 percent of hit-and-run crashes last year occurred at night or during dimly lit time periods.
Under Florida law, a driver MUST stop immediately at the scene of a crash on public or private property, which results in property damage, injury, or death.
If a driver flees the scene, the situation becomes even worse.
If the crash involves property damage, leaving the scene is classified as a second-degree misdemeanor with penalties of up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
Leaving the scene of a crash with injuries is a second- or third-degree felony, and a driver, when convicted, will have their driver's license revoked for at least three years and can be sentenced up to five years in prison and incur a $5,000 fine.
Drivers leaving the scene of a crash with a fatality could be sentenced up to 30 years in prison and incur a $10,000 fine.
The most important thing a driver can do when he is involved in a crash is to Stay at the Scene and call for help.
The public is encouraged to report hit and run crashes by dialing *FHP (*347).
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