Hanover County Hit and Run Lawyer

Hit and Run cases in Hanover County are taken very seriously. Hit and Run are also called “Leaving the Scene of an Accident.” The Hanover Commonwealth Attorney’s Office aggressively prosecutes these cases. If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident that either causes a personal injury or results in property damage to another person’s property, then it is illegal to leave the accident scene without first doing certain things depending upon the circumstances of the accident. Such an incident is referred to as Hit and Run (Leaving the Scene of an Accident) and is prohibited by Virginia Code sections 46.2-894, 46.2-895, 46.2-896, and 46.2-897. It is an offense that can result in serious consequences, ranging from a simple fine to a prison sentence, depending upon the severity of either the injury or the property damage. Riley & Wells Attorneys-At-Law has been successfully defending hit and run allegations for over 25 years in Hanover County.

Accomplished Leaving the Scene of an Accident Attorneys

A hit and run accident that results in personal injury or attended property damage in excess of $1000 is a felony and may be punishable by a maximum 10-year term of incarceration and/or a fine of not more than $2,500. Misdemeanor hit and run cases do not involve personal injury, but involve property damage of less than $1000 and can also involve either attended or unattended property. Such cases are punishable by a maximum 12 month term of incarceration and/or $2,500 fine depending upon the amount of and type of property damage. Any conviction for hit and run may also suspend driving privileges and trigger the assessment of DMV demerit points to your driving record. NOTE: A arrest for hit and run is NOT a conviction. Do not waive your rights.  If you have been arrested or charged with a Hit and Run accident, then you need a skilled Hanover County Hit and Run Lawyer to successfully defend you with professionalism. We work hard to protect your rights and obtain the best possible result for you. Do not lose the opportunity to defend yourself. In some instances, the evidence may not sufficiently prove the accused was in fact involved in the accident or knew they were involved in the accident. There may also be other defenses to the case. Consult a law firm that is dedicated to defending clients accused of unlawfully leaving the scene of an accident.

Hanover County Hit & Run Accident Client Reviews

Hanover County Virginia Hit & Run DISMISSED

Riley & Wells Attorneys-At-Law represented a client who was alleged to be in violation of the hit and run leaving the scene of accident law in Hanover County. The case involved expensive damage to a Hanover County school bus. Our client was a commercial driver and was operating a commercial trash truck in the area near the time damage to the school bus was discovered. The evidence was circumstantial. There was no eye witness that observed the alleged incident. A witness placed our client at the scene of the incident but our client maintained his innocence from the beginning of the investigation. Our attorneys attempted to negotiate a resolution with Hanover County, but the county insisted on proceeding with a trial. We entered a plea of not guilty. Various pieces of evidence were admitted during the trial. The defense stressed the fact that the physical evidence insufficiently proved there was contact between the alleged vehicle and that our client knew he was involved in an accident. Upon conclusion of the case, after the Hanover County District Court heard all the evidence and argument, the Judge ruled in favor of our client because the Commonwealth Attorney could not prove all the elements of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt. Our client was vindicated and perhaps most importantly, was able to keep his job. A conviction for hit and run would have likely led to termination.

Select Code of Virginia Hit & Run Laws

§ 46.2-894. Driver to stop if the accident involves injury or damage to attended property

The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident in which a person is killed or injured or in which an attended vehicle or other attended property is damaged shall immediately stop as close to the scene of the accident as possible without obstructing traffic and report his name, address, driver’s license number, and vehicle registration number forthwith to the State Police or local law-enforcement agency, to the person, struck and injured if such person appears to be capable of understanding and retaining the information, or to the driver or some other occupant of the vehicle collided with or to the custodian of other damaged property. The driver shall also render reasonable assistance to any person injured in such an accident, including taking such injured person to a physician, surgeon, or hospital if it is apparent that medical treatment is necessary or is requested by the injured person. Where, because of injuries sustained in the accident, the driver is prevented from complying with the foregoing provisions of this section, the driver shall, as soon as reasonably possible, make the required report to the State Police or local law enforcement agency and make a reasonable effort to locate the person struck, or the driver or some other occupant of the vehicle collided with, or the custodian of the damaged property, and report to such person or persons his name, address, driver’s license number, and vehicle registration number.

§ 46.2-896. Accident involving damage only to unattended property

The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident in which no person is killed or injured, but in which an unattended vehicle or other unattended property is damaged, shall make a reasonable effort to find the owner or custodian of such property and shall report to the owner or custodian the information which the driver is required to report pursuant to § 46.2-894 if such owner or custodian is found. If the owner or custodian of such damaged vehicle or property cannot be found, the driver shall leave a note or other sufficient information including driver identification and contact information in a conspicuous place at the scene of the accident and shall report the accident in writing within 24 hours to the State Police or the local law-enforcement agency. Such note or other information and written report shall contain the information that the driver is required to report pursuant to § 46.2-894. The written report shall, in addition, state the date, time, and place of the accident and the driver’s description of the property damage. Where, because of injuries sustained in the accident, the driver is prevented from complying with the foregoing provisions of this section, the driver shall, as soon as reasonably possible, make the required report to the State Police or local law-enforcement agency and make a reasonable effort to locate the owner or custodian of the unattended vehicle or property and report to him the information required by § 46.2-894.

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3/31/2017 Updated 2/22/2020