There is no good reason to flee the scene of an accident. Ford drivers in Texas, leaving the scene of an accident instead of waiting and providing assistance will result in much harsher penalties for the driver.
If you flee the scene of an accident that only involves property damage, even something as small as $200 worth of damage to the car, you can be charged with a Class B misdemeanor resulting in a fine and up to 180 days in jail. Hitting a parked car in a parking garage, for example, can lead to jail time if the driver attempts to run away from the scene of the accident. By remaining at the scene instead of fleeing, drivers are fairly likely to endure fewer penalties and pay less in fines.
Where the law really gets strict is when an accident involves harm to a person’s body or health, especially if the hit-and-run results in a fatality. Recent legislation has increased the penalty for a hit-and-run fatality to equal the punishment of intoxicated manslaughter. This means drivers are charged for being intoxicated if they flee the scene of a fatality, regardless of whether they were intoxicated or not. Lawmakers hope that the increased severity of the punishment gives Texas drivers an incentive to stop and wait at the scene of the crime, providing necessary assistance until the authorities arrive.
This law was able to pass with bipartisan support, which is uncommon for any bill that attempts to enhance penalties for crimes. The new penalties make sense for several reasons. One is that many people who flee the scene of accidents are people who are intoxicated. They had an incentive to flee because they would get in more trouble if they stayed behind.
“Before, when the penalty was less for leaving the scene, then there was like an incentive to leave if you were drunk,” said Amarillo Police Sergeant Brent Barbee. “And now, the penalty would be the same as if you’d been arrested for the intoxication manslaughter to start with.”
Another way this law is beneficial is that it makes sure that people hurt in an accident receive immediate help and assistance from other drivers. There is sometimes no one on the scene to call authorities for help. It may end up taking hours before a call for help is made, and that can mean the difference between life and death for those hurt in a crash.
These laws are designed to prevent tragedies that can be avoided and to incentivize drivers to be more careful and diligent on the road. It gives drivers a reason to stay at the scene instead of fleeing and makes them responsible for their actions. This responsibility can make a world of difference for the victims of hit-and-run car accidents.
“You can’t just say, ‘I thought it was a kid throwing rocks at my car’ and change your story to ‘I thought I hit a deer,’” said Laurie Griffin, a mother who lost her daughter in a hit-and-run car accident. “People need to know what’s going to happen if they don’t stop, and that’s from a mother that lost her daughter to complete nonsense.”
If you are involved in a car accident, here are the steps you should take immediately after while remaining on the scene.
- Stop the vehicle as soon as you can in a safe manner that does not block traffic
- Find the other drivers involved in the crash and exchange relevant information, including names, address, driver’s license number, insurance, vehicle registration, and phone numbers.
- If anyone was injured in the accident, call 911 immediately and provide the victim with reasonable assistance until authorities arrive at the scene
