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 2024, there were over 97 thousand hit and run crashes in Florida leading to 779 serious injuries and 238 deaths.
Just over 81 thousand of those crashes involved property damage, such as a parked car with no one inside, a mailbox, fence, or landscape.
38 percent of hit-and-run crashes last year occurred at night or during dimly lit time periods, the largest number of hit and run crashes occurred between 3 and 6 PM.
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 misdemean-or 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 2024, there were over 97 thousand hit and run crashes in Florida leading to 779 serious injuries and 238 deaths.
Just over 81 thousand of those crashes involved property damage, such as a parked car with no one inside, a mailbox, fence, or landscape.
38 percent of hit-and-run crashes last year occurred at night or during dimly lit time periods, the largest number of hit and run crashes occurred between 3 and 6 PM.
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 misdemean-or 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).
No comments:
Post a Comment