How Long After a Hit and Run Accident Can You Be Charged with a Crime?
You’re out for a short drive, maybe getting some groceries or running an errand, and you get distracted. Before you know it, you’ve rear-ended the car in front of you or clipped the side of a parked car. You panic—maybe your insurance isn’t up to date or you have a few points on your driving record. So you leave the scene, but it continually haunts you.
How long after a hit and run accident can a person recognize you and allege liability? How long after a hit and run can a police officer take you into custody and charge you with a crime?
The laws that identify the length of time during which a civil or criminal action may be initiated are commonly referred to as statutes of limitation. Statutes of limitation apply to specific legal wrongs. Accordingly, the time period during which a personal injury lawsuit can be filed against you may be different from the time period in which you can be charged with a criminal act. Furthermore, the time periods established for different legal wrongs are often imposed by state law and therefore vary from state to state.
What Does the Law Require in Texas?
Under the law in Texas, all parties to an accident have some responsibility after a collision. If the accident involves any type of injury or causes someone’s death, all motorists involved must stop at or immediately return to the scene of the accident, offering aid and providing personal information, including proof of a driver’s license.
Under the Texas Criminal Code, a person who leaves the scene of an accident involving a serious bodily injury can be charged with a second-degree felony, with potential sanctions of two to ten years in prison. A hit and run that leads to someone’s death is typically a third-degree felony. Most other hit and run incidents are charged as misdemeanors.
How Long after a Hit and Run Can You Be Investigated, Detained, or Charged?
That depends on whether you are being charged with a misdemeanor or felony. For misdemeanors, an at-fault party can be charged with leaving the scene of an accident for up to two years after the date of the collision. For felonies, the statute of limitations extends a full three years.
At the law office of Bailey & Galyen, we are committed to helping protect the rights of individuals who have been charged with any type of crime in Texas, including hit and run. We have a thorough knowledge of the Texas criminal laws, and we will aggressively fight to ensure that your constitutional rights are protected and that law enforcement officers follow the rules.
We offer a free initial consultation to every client. To schedule an appointment with a knowledgeable and thorough criminal defense lawyer, contact us by email or call us at 844-402-2992. You also can call our offices at one of the convenient locations listed below. We will take your call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
