Being involved in a motor vehicle crash is often a stressful experience. This can seem even worse when you’re dealing with extenuating circumstances, such as knowing you’ve had a few drinks or don’t have insurance.
For some individuals, the stress of the accident and the worry that they’re going to be in serious legal trouble may lead them to leave the scene of the accident. What they might not realize is that leaving can cause major issues for them.
What happens if you leave the scene?
Police officers are going to show up at the scene and try to figure out what happened. There’s a chance that a witness caught a glimpse of something that can identify you. Security cameras might have gotten you on video. The officers are going to use all of the available information to try to determine who left the scene of the crash.
In some cases, the officers use a description of the vehicle to try to narrow down the scope for identifying the driver. They can use the make, model, color and year of the vehicle as a starting point. Then, they can search for vehicles matching that description that have damage consistent with the hit-and-run crash.
Once they determine who left the scene of the accident, legal action is likely going to commence, including the issuance of an arrest warrant. The exact charge the person will face depends on the circumstances of the wreck. Typically, the penalties are greater if there are injuries involved.
What should you do if you did leave the scene?
If you leave the scene of an accident, you need to contact your attorney right away. They can help you to learn about what options you have to address the matter. Thinking that the problem is going to just go away is a huge mistake, so don’t fall into that temptation.
Addressing this type of legal matter can be complex because of the nature of the situation. The presence of injuries could mean that you have a criminal case, as well as a civil one. For this reason, getting your defense planning started quickly is important.