If you were involved in a car accident, and failed to stop, you can be charged with a criminal offense of Hit and Run under Indiana law.
Immediately following an auto accident, your adrenaline experiences a spike. This heightened level of awareness may have your heart racing and your mind not thinking clearly. Perhaps you were not thinking straight when you left the scene of the accident. Or maybe you didn’t understand the seriousness of your actions.
Facing charges for failing to stop at an accident site is particularly stressful if you or another party was injured. You are likely full of regret and scared of what the future might hold.
Of course, if you are accused of failing to stop/hit and run, and you are innocent, you absolutely need to defend yourself and protect your rights in court. It is common for a mistaken identity in cases like this. License plates can be mixed up and written down incorrectly. Or maybe someone else was driving you car, maybe without your permission. There are a host of scenarios where a hit an run accusation is false.
Whatever happened, you need legal help. As your attorney it would be our job to put your mind at ease. We know you are under stress and we want to help by ensuring that your rights are protected at every stage of the criminal justice process and work towards getting you the best outcome possible in court.
Please contact us to speak to an attorney in a free criminal defense consultation.
Indiana Duty to Stop Responsibilities
If you are involved in an accident, you must stop your vehicle. Even if there are no injuries, you are required to stop and speak with the other driver, give them your license and registration information and wait for law enforcement if necessary.
If there are injuries involved, you must remain on the scene and provide reasonable assistance to the injured until help arrives.
Failing to stop and comply with your legally required duties results in criminal charges.
Ref: IC 9-26-1
Failure to Stop – Indiana Hit and Run Penalties
Generally if you fail to stop and fulfill your duties at the scene of an accident, you will be charged with a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and fines reaching $5,000.
However if the accident resulted in serious injury of a person and you fail to stop, the charge is elevated to a Class D felony. Class D felonies are punishable by 6 months to 3 years in prison and fines up to $10,000.
Ref: IC 9-26-1-8
Hit and Run Charge? Get A Criminal Legal Defense Consultation in IN
Hit and Run is a serious criminal offense. We know you’re mind may have been elsewhere the day of the accident and we want to help you fix this and get past it as quickly and painlessly as possible. Call us to discuss the details of your case today.