At the scene of a motor vehicle crash, every minute matters. Immediate assistance, or a call to 911, can easily be the difference that saves someone’s life. When drivers involved in a crash choose to flee the scene instead of taking responsibility, the consequences can be deadly. This is referred to as a hit-and-run and is a serious issue in the state of Florida. According to the Department of Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, nearly 25 percent of all crashes in Florida each year involve a hit-and-run.

Serious Consequences

Staying on the scene of an accident isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s the law.

Florida enacted additional hit-and-run legislation in 2014 to reinforce that fleeing the scene of a crash is a serious crime. Known as the Aaron Cohen Protection Act, it was named in the memory of a man who was fatally struck by an inebriated hit-and-run driver in 2012 after the driver was sentenced to a mere two years in prison.

Under this law, the consequences for hit-and-run drivers in Florida depends on the severity of the crash itself.

Hit and run with property damage: If a driver in Florida flees the scene after a crash resulting in property damage, he or she is subject to being charged with a second-degree misdemeanor, up to 60 days in prison and a $500 fine.

Hit and run with injuries: If a driver in Florida flees the scene after a crash resulting in injuries, he or she is subject to being charged with a second- or third-degree felony, a revoked driver’s license for at least three years, up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Hit and run with fatalities: If a driver in Florida flees the scene after a crash with fatalities, he or she is subject to being charged with a first-degree felony, a revoked driver’s license for at least three years, up to 20 years in prison (with a minimum of four years in prison) and a $10,000 fine.

According to the FLHSMV, there were 709,155 hit-and-run crashes in Florida between 2015 and 2021. These crashes resulted in nearly 1,606 fatalities.

Stay at the Scene

To raise awareness of this issue in Florida, the FLHSMV launched a campaign called Stay at the Scene. The campaign has three primary goals:

To educate Florida drivers on what to do when they are involved in a crash, and the responsibility they have to stay on the scene of the incident.

To inform Florida drivers of the consequences of committing a hit-and-run.

To reduce the number of hit-and-run crashes in the state of Florida.

What can you do?

As a Florida driver, if you are involved in a motor vehicle crash, regardless of the severity, you need to stay at the scene. It’s crucial to alert authorities and call for help immediately.

Second, you can help hold others accountable for their actions in a hit-and-run crash. If you witness a driver fleeing the scene of an accident, you can report it to the Florida Highway Patrol by calling *FHP (*347) or report it anonymously to Florida Crime Stoppers by calling **TIPS (**8477).

The scene of a crash is always difficult, but fleeing or failing to report the incident to authorities can cause even more devastation. Save someone’s life by taking responsibility and staying at the scene.