Failing to remain at the scene of a collision is one of the serious criminal offenses that one should never do under any circumstances. It is quite natural to get involved in a hit-and-run accident, but you should never escape from that spot unless all the formalities are completely done.
It doesn’t matter whether you were directly or indirectly involved in the accident. Apart from the law’s eye, it also falls under your moral ethics to stay in the accident spot and check the other person while waiting for the authority to come over.
Let’s find out the things you must do, what kind of problems you may face, along with the penalties for failing to remain at the scene of a collision:
Things You Must Do for Failing to Remain at the Scene of a Collision
To err is human. But that doesn’t mean that you should just run away from the crime scene. Instead, as human beings, along with driving carefully, there are several things we must do immediately.
These things are serious, and even a second matter and are extremely crucial. So take action rapidly by trying to understand the depth of it.
And most importantly, never leave the scene without giving sufficient information about yourself and your vehicle after depicting the entire scenario.
Here are the things that you must do as soon as possible in case you fail to remain at the accident scene:
- Stop the vehicle right away, without giving a second thought about whether to stop or not
- Check the driver to see if s/he is okay or needs medical treatment if injured, take him/her to a nearby hospital to get immediate treatment
- Contact the police of that arena if there is any sign of personal injury/damages over 2,000 dollars or both
- Provide your name, address, and insurance information in detail to the officer in charge, along with the person suffering involved in the accident.
Penalties for Failing to Remain at the Accident Spot
If anyone gets involved in a hit-and-run accident, then every citizen’s first and foremost duty is to stay at the accident spot no matter what.
In fact, you will be surprised to know that failing to remain at the accident scene is considered a criminal offense, irrespective of any situation. And can land you into paying unlimited fines and severe punishments, based on the charges and the accident severity.
Don’t have any idea about these penalties? No worries, we have created the list of punishments set by the highway traffic act and the criminal code of Canada.
Let’s see what punishments await for one for failing to remain at these scenes:
Penalties for Highway Traffic Act
- Imprisonment for at least 6 months or more depending on the severity of the case
- The fine may range between $400 to $2000
- Cut of merit points by 7
- May suspend driving license by 30 days to 2 years for the vehicle drivers
- 100% rise in the insurance taxes
Penalties for the Criminal Code of Canada
- Unlimited fines based on the accident severity
- May give you a criminal record tag under your name for the rest of your lives
- Ban on your driving license around 1 to 3 years
- Imprisonment for up to 5 years for severe kinds of accidents
- May land you into trials, compensation, or any other conditions
Shocked to see the list of the penalties? Well, they are pretty serious, and not following them strictly can make you regret it later on.
Hence, the smarter call is to remain at the collision scene to be on the safer side. Otherwise, be ready to face any of the above penalties.
Read More: Different Types of Drunk Driving Accident and Penalties
What Kind of Police Investigations Happens for Failing to Remain at the Accident Scene?
As mentioned above, failing to remain at the accident scene is deemed as one of the serious criminal offenses by law.
So, obviously, there will be police investigations, no matter whether it is a minor or major accident. In fact, the police are bound to take action as soon as possible for this kind of case.
In many such situations, detectives are also employed for conducting further investigations along with making sure that not even a slight detail gets missed out. After all, a small hint can end up wrapping the entire case.
Let’s see how the police officers respond to such cases (step by step) where a driver fails to remain at the accident scene:
- An officer will visit the crime scene, investigate thoroughly to understand everything, and finally contact you.
- The officer in charge will make a final report and then hand it over to the detective to properly carry the rest of the investigation.
- If the driver also reaches the Accident Reporting Center and makes a report, in that case, the report will be sent to the detective for further investigation along with the police reports.
- The detective will analyze both the reports and finally come to a verdict based on which the punishments/fines will be set.
Note:
The sequence and pattern of the police investigations may vary from case to case depending on various factors, state, and severity of the case.
Why Should You Take Legal Help When Failing to Remain at the Collision Scene?
Failing to remain at the collision scene is a serious criminal offense. So, if you are accused of these charges, then don’t take the challenge of facing the police or the court system alone.
In fact, for this kind of scenario, your first duty is to take legal help, especially if you don’t yourself juggle between the police and court.
These two things are possibly the toughest and hectic place one can find themselves in. Hence, the smarter call is to hire an experienced lawyer.
Right from doing the paperwork to talking to the police/detectives and fighting the case, they can guide you in every step. They can be your true savior at this difficult time of yours.
So if you are at fault or not, taking legal help is your responsibility, not an option, in case you don’t want to face any more problems.
To Conclude
Failing to remain at the scene of a collision can land you to several problems, right from giving you a criminal record to jail/fines and many more, depending on the severity of the accident and the charges.
Hence, if you get engaged in any such situations, make sure to take legal help from an experienced lawyer. They know exactly how to handle these very well and thus can guide you in every step with their expertise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Check out the below queries about leaving the scene of an accident in Canada to get precise knowledge about them:
What Happens If You Don’t Stay at the Scene of an Accident?
The reporting time of an accident is 24 hours. And in case you fail to remain at the scene of an accident without any valid reason, you can get 6 months of imprisonment along with any ransom amount of fine, depending on the severity of the incident and the charges.
Is It an Offence to Leave the Scene of an Accident?
Absolutely. It is so serious that you can get a criminal record tag beside your name along with imprisonment and fee.
Hence, always leave the crime area after giving precise information about yourself and the vehicle to the authority to be on the safer side. Otherwise, this mistake of yours is enough to make you suffer and regret it for the rest of your lives.
What Punishment Do You Get for Leaving the Scene of an Accident?
Leaving the accident site is deemed a serious criminal offence. It can result in severe penalties point endorsement, ransom amount of fines, disqualifying your driving license, imprisonment of minimum 6 months or more, based on the accident’s seriousness.
What Will Happen If You Hit a Car and Just Drove Off?
As normal human beings and responsible citizens, it is our responsibility to stop our cars, report, and treat the victim as soon as possible. Moreover, it is a heinous crime to just drive off the car by hitting someone – be it intentionally or unintentionally.
To make a mistake is human nature, and you cant simply help it. But if you just escape from your mistake instead of trying to rectify it, it will be intentional. Besides, there can be CCTV or any eye-witness at the scene to depict the before and after scenario of the entire accident.
What Will Happen If You Hit a Car, But There are No Injuries and Damage to Vehicles?
In this kind of scenario, you should still stop and provide the necessary details to the person in charge, even if there is no sort of physical damage to a person or the vehicle.
After all, an accident is an accident, and it comes with a lot of complexities and formalities. Hence, never take these things lightly. Otherwise, you will be the sufferer.
