FHP urges: ‘Stay at the Scene’ of a traffic crash
Accidents on the roads are no stranger to Florida residents, and local law enforcement is reminding drivers to do the right thing if they should find themselves in an incident.
February is Hit-and-Run Awareness Month in Florida, and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and its division of the Florida Highway Patrol are leading the state’s “Stay at the Scene” campaign to help prevent crashes, reduce fatalities and injuries, and bring justice to families impacted by these crimes.
Officials said while data shows a positive improvement from such circumstances from last year, yearly hit-and-run totals in Florida “underscore a disturbing trend.”
In 2022, the total number of hit-and-run crashes across the state decreased by 5% compared to 2021, according to officials. In that same comparison, fatalities from hit-and-runs were down by 13%, and serious bodily injuries from hit-and-runs were down 15%.
Though over the past five years, there were 515,957 hit-and-run crashes that resulted in 1,251 fatalities. On average, that is 103,191 hit-and-run crashes resulting in 250 deaths per year in Florida. The state recorded a total of 104,895 hit-and-run crashes and 266 fatalities last year.
“Florida has been experiencing far too many hit-and-run tragedies for far too long, and this needs to change,” stated FLHSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner in a release. “Drivers who flee the scene of a crash are law breakers and displaying disregard towards other people’s lives and property. Fleeing the scene of a crash will cause severe, lifelong penalties, and law enforcement – including our State Troopers – will track down those offenders to make sure they are held accountable under the law.”
Hit-and-run crashes primarily occur at night, or during dimly lit time periods, accounting for 80% of all such crashes. Stats show 84% of hit-and-runs in low-light conditions involve a fatality.
In 2022, 144 fatalities were pedestrians and 50 were bicyclists, totaling 73% of hit-and-run fatalities last year. While overall hit-and-run fatalities decreased compared to 2021, the percentage of bicyclists and pedestrians who died in hit-and-run crashes rose by 3%, officials stated.
Under Florida law, a driver must stop immediately at the scene of a crash on public or private property that results in property damage, injury, or death:
• If the crash involves property damage, leaving the scene is classified as a second-degree misdemeanor, with penalties up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
• Leaving the scene of a crash with injuries is a second- or third-degree felony and a driver, when convicted, will have their driver license revoked for at least three years and can be sentenced up to five years in prison and incur a $5,000 fine.
• Drivers who leave the scene of a crash with a fatality face a first-degree felony with a mandatory minimum of four years in prison, and they could be sentenced up to 30 years and incur a $10,000 fine.
“Leaving the scene of a traffic crash is a crime, even when you are scared. You must stop immediately at the scene of a crash which results in property damage, injury, or death,” stated Florida Highway Patrol Director, Colonel Gene S. Spaulding. “If you happen to witness a hit-and-run crash, I urge you to dial *FHP (*347) or contact your local law enforcement to report what you witnessed. Together, we can make a difference in solving hit-and-run crashes.”
Even if an individual is involved in a crash pertaining to property damage, they must stay at the scene and attempt to locate or contact the property owner. If they cannot locate the property owner, the driver responsible for the crash should leave contact and insurance information in an identifiable location, officials said.
In the case of property damage only, the driver and crash victim — once contact has been made between them — can self-file a crash report with FLHSMV, and then do not need law enforcement to file a crash report.
Officials said even a small tip can help solve a hit-and-run case. If you have information on a hit-and-run crash, you can report it by calling *FHP (*347) or report it anonymously to Florida Crime Stoppers by calling **TIPS (**8477) or through the Florida Crime Stoppers smartphone phone app, available free in the Apple and Google Play stores.
To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com