If you are involved in a traffic crash, you are required to stop and remain at the scene until you have exchanged information with anyone at the scene who suffered property damage in the crash. If anyone was injured, you must also remain at the scene to render assistance until help arrives. It is not a crime for a passenger in a car involved in an injury accident to leave the scene of the accident.
If you leave the scene then a criminal investigation will begin. People leave the scene for a variety of reasons including a concern that they might be arrested for a traffic crime such as reckless driving, driving under the influence, or driving on a suspended license. Leaving the scene can subject you to more serious charges, especially if anyone was injured in the crash.
The most serious felony penalties for hit and run are reserved for cases in which someone else suffered serious bodily injury or died.
If you are under investigation for hit and run, don’t just wait for a law enforcement officer to knock on your door. Instead, secure the services of an experienced criminal defense attorney in Salt Lake City, Utah, who can help you deal with every aspect of the case.
An attorney can help you assert your right to remain silent under the 5th amendment and your right to be represented by an attorney under the 6th amendment. Once the attorney notifies the investigating officer that you have invoked your rights, the officer will no longer come to your home or place of business to interrogate you.
If you need help, call the attorneys at Brown, Bradshaw & Moffat, LLP in Salt Lake City, Utah, to discuss your case. Let us put our experience to work for you. We can begin your defense today.
Law enforcement officers in the State of Utah have estimated that hit and run cases have risen more than 20% over the last ten years. Law enforcement agencies throughout Utah had entire units devoted to investigating these cases.
Crimes for hit and run after a traffic accident can be charged in any of the following ways:
Additional Resources
News Stories about Hit and Run Cases in Salt Lake City - Visit the web site for Fox 13 Salt Lake City to find out more about recent news stories for hit-and-run cases involving property damage, serious bodily injury or death. Many of these cases involve a pedestrian, bicycle, motorcycle or another vehicle. Also find news stories about police who are looking for drivers who fled the scene.
SLCPD Press Releases for Hit and Run Investigations - Visit the website of the Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD) to find recent press releases that help the investigating officer seek the public’s help to identify and locate suspects in recent criminal investigations for leaving the scene of a crash.
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After an accusation that you failed to stop and remain at the scene of a traffic crash, contact an experienced criminal defense attorney in Salt Lake City, Utah, at Brown, Bradshaw & Moffat, LLP. Whether your crash involved unattended property, another occupied vehicle, injury, serious bodily injury or death, we can help you.
Don't just wait for the investigating officer to knock on your door. Secure the services of an attorney who can help you during every stage fo the criminal investigation. Your attorney can also help you deal with your insurance company and the insurance company or personal injury attorney of anyone injured in the accident.
Under Utah law, the crime of “hit and run” comes with serious criminal penalties. Whether you left the scene after hitting a parked car, a single car accident with unattended property or a crash with an injury, law enforcement officers actively investigate these cases. In these cases, you need an attorney focused on protecting your rights. Call (801) 532-5297 today to talk with an experienced attorney for traffic crimes in Utah.
