DUI and Hit-and-Run Laws
California Vehicle Code Section 23152 (a) states: “It is unlawful for any person who is under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or drug, or under the combined influence of any alcoholic beverage and drug, to drive a vehicle. California Vehicle Code 20001 (a) states: “The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than himself or herself, or in the death of a person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident.”
Leaving the scene of an accident is illegal as well as inhumane and irresponsible. However, it happens more than anyone would care to think about. The California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) shows that 147 deaths and 19,009 injuries were reported as a result of hit-and-run car accidents. Many times, the victims are not the drivers operating under the influence. Rather, they are innocents who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Take, for instance, Ronald Carver, a 44-year-old tow truck driver. Mr. Carver was killed in a hit-and-run crash on Pacific Coast Highway as Mr. Carver was performing his job assisting a disabled vehicle. Mr. Carver was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The person responsible for his death was later apprehended after crashing into a parked car over two miles away from the scene.
Hopefully, Mr. Carver’s family consulted a Tustin car accident attorney experienced in dealing with wrongful death claims. There are many insurance issues that only an experienced attorney can navigate in this case, such as how their insurance policy might apply to a hit-and-run crash or how it might apply if the at-fault party is uninsured or underinsured.
The driver faced charges of hit-and-run as well as leaving the scene of an accident. When injuries or death occur, as in this case, the hit-and-run is a felony. If only property was damaged, such behavior is typically a misdemeanor unless the total amount of damage is high.
When a driver is determined to have been at fault, that driver can be held liable for the injuries and damages caused, including wrongful death. Compensation may include medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. When hit-and-run is added to the equation, the drivers also face punitive damages which are meant to punish them for their intentionally wrongful behavior.
In California, witnesses to a hit-and-run accident can call 1-800-644-8678 or go to the Hit-and-Run Reward Website to report a hit-and-run anonymously and receive up to $1,000 in reward money.