Leaving the Scene of an Accident

You were in an accident – and you felt panicked and frightened. You acted on impulse and left the scene right away. Even if you felt remorseful, you can still be charged with leaving the scene of an accident.

In Pennsylvania, leaving the scene of an accident carries penalties that can include time in prison, costly fines and suspension of your driver’s license. You will need to hire a defense attorney who thoroughly understands the law, and can represent you skillfully and aggressively.

What You Need To Know About Leaving The Scene Of An Accident

If you were the driver, and you were involved in an accident where there was damage to another vehicle or property, under Pennsylvania law you must:

• Immediately stop your vehicle at the scene or as close to the scene as possible.
• Give your name, address and vehicle registration number, and be ready to provide your driver’s license and proof of insurance.

If you leave the scene of the accident, you face a misdemeanor of the third degree which is punished by up to a year in prison.

If you were driving and had an accident, and someone involved in the accident was injured or died:

• You must give reasonable assistance to anyone injured.
• If it is obvious that the injured person or people need medical attention, or if they request it, you need to try to make arrangements for getting them to a doctor or hospital.
• If no one involved in the accident is in good enough condition to make those arrangements, you need to call the police immediately.
• If you are physically incapable of doing any of these things, the occupants in your vehicle must do them.

If you leave the scene of the accident and do not provide assistance to the injured or phone the police, you can be charged with a misdemeanor of the first degree or a felony of the third degree depending on the circumstances.

If you are the driver and you hit an unattended vehicle or property, in Pennsylvania you need to stop your vehicle at the scene or close by and either try to find and notify the vehicle’s owner OR attach a note to the damaged vehicle.

In the note or in what you tell the owner you have to include your name, address, insurance information and vehicle registration information.

You also need to contact the police as quickly as possible.

If you fail to do these things, you can serve up to 90 days in jail.

What To Do If The Police Arrest You

• Do not try to talk your way out of the arrest.
• If the police question you repeatedly, politely refuse to answer their questions and tell then you want a lawyer.

How A Lawyer Will Help

When you are up against a traffic violation, you need an attorney who will stand by you every step of the way, work hard to discredit any evidence – and work with you to determine your best course of action.

Pennsylvania Traffic Violation Law

Traffic violation is described and defined under The Pennsylvania Code under Title 75. Read the code here.