Here Is What Hit & Run DUI Means
There are two types of hit and run DUI offenses – misdemeanor and felony. Causing damage to someone’s property and fleeing the scene without contacting the owner or law enforcement authorities while driving the vehicle intoxicated, is a misdemeanor crime. Nevertheless, it is still a hit and run offense paired with DUI charges. Law enforcement authorities are very strict when it comes to driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances, you risk facing some genuinely harsh penalties. Losing your driver’s license, mandatory alcohol or drug awareness classes, community service, ignition interlock device, expensive fines, mandatory SR22 insurance – these all may be part of your DUI hit and run sentence. Do not forget that you may also be obliged by the court to pay for any kind of damage you caused.
Although above-mentioned consequences are genuinely harsh, these are certainly milder than the ones you will get for a felony DUI hit and run. Hence, in case you injured or perhaps killed an individual or a group of people and then fled the scene, you will be charged with a felony DUI hit and run that implies genuinely devastating legal consequences.
Defense Against Hit & Run DUI
Some drivers think that it is a good idea to flee the scene without trying to help victims or notifying authorities. Furthermore, some individuals report their vehicle stolen in attempts of avoiding harsh penalties. After all, being charged with a DUI hit and run is very serious – charges may imply time in county jail or even state prison, depending on how severe injuries of victims were. Thus, if you seriously injured a person in the DUI hit and run, you may be sentenced to 4 years in prison and you will get 3 additional years for any other person you have managed to injure. There were cases when people were sentenced to a decade behind bars, which is the kind of option that most drivers will find absolutely horrifying.
However, there are cases when drivers flee the scene automatically, without even controlling their actions. It is a condition of shock and people cannot take control over it. It is a factor that could be used for the defense in court, but you will have to find a qualified as well as genuinely experienced legal representative to help you.
If you or your loved ones were charged with a hit and run DUI, it is crucial not to waste any time and to find a good attorney, who will be capable of assessing all the evidence and minimizing the sentence. Furthermore, he will find any mistakes and errors in the work of police officers or the medical analysis and will prove that you deserve a second chance or at the very least probation, which is a far more desirable option than years in state prison. If you need more information about DUI Hit & Run defense, contact us today!