How much time do I have before the police locate me for a hit and run?
Yearly, there are more than 700,000 hit-and-run accidents out of more than 7 million auto accidents in the USA. For those living in the UK, current statistics indicate that there were more than 44,035 hit and run accidents in the UK, in the year 2019.
The above-mentioned data may even be lower because according to police, a significant number of car accidents go unreported. Hit and run accidents have a devastating effect on both the hit-and-run victim and the driver that fled the scene of the accident.
But what is a hit-and-run accident and what is a hit and run crime? Do police investigate and capture the drivers behind hit and runs? what to do if you committed a hit and run? Alright, let’s go.
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What is a hit and run accident?
A hit and run accident occurs when one of the drivers that were involved in the accident flees the accident scene without observing the following.
- Sharing contact information
- Rendering helps if there are injuries or deaths
- Notifying authorities of the accident.
A driver that leaves the scene of an accident commits an offense and he or she faces charges or penalties for a hit and run crime.
Is a hit and run crime the same as leaving the scene of an accident?
According to traffic laws, leaving the scene of an accident is a crime. The driver that fled the scene of the accident commits a crime known as a hit and run.
Well, these 2 terms are different but legally refer to the same thing. For example, a driver that fled the accident escapes charges of hit and run offense if police fail to find him/her.
I committed a hit and run what to do?
As I said, leaving the scene of an accident is a grave mistake you should never make. I highly recommend you stop and observe what is legally required by you.
If you are involved in any car accident, I recommend you stop at the scene of the accident or at the nearest point and do the following.
1. Check yourself for injuries. Your safety and the safety of those involved in the accident matter most. Call 911 if there are injuries or help transport those injured to the hospital.
2. Move your car to a safer place. You do not need to move your car if there are injuries, or else make sure you are not impeding traffic.
3. Call the police. It’s required by law in all states to report car crashes to the police. In other states, you will need to report the crash only when there are property damages exceeding $500 or if there are injuries.
4. Exchange information. As I said before, you must exchange information with the other driver(s). Things to exchange include insurance information, license plate information, and contact information.
5. Document the accident. Make sure you take photos of the injuries, car damages, surroundings, etc.
6. Contact your insurance company. Car accidents result in financial losses. To kick-start, your compensation settlement process, make sure your insurance company is notified as soon as possible.
How long does it take the police to find you?
There is no designated time it takes police to find you following a hit and run the offense. It could take police hours, days, weeks, months, or years to find you.
According to statistics, only 5-10% of hit and run drivers are found and charged. This implies that the majority of hit-and-run cases are not solved.
Here is an example. Moses committed a hit and run and fled the scene well knowing no person saw him. “I was shocked when police called me after 6 days and questioned me about the hit and run”, said Moses.
“I later discovered that a nearby security camera captured the accident and so they were able to find me by running my license plate number” Concluded Moses.
How long does it take police to investigate a car accident?
In any crime, the police and other authorities rely on the strength of the evidence at hand. You guys know that, to successfully pursue a crime as opposed to a civil case, you will need to prove beyond doubt that the other person committed the crime.
On the other, you will need clear and convincing evidence to bring strong action against the at-fault party. Do not be confused by the above legal terms. Just know that you need non-contestable evidence to convict someone of a hit and run.
How long it takes police to investigate a car accident depends on the information you gathered and provided police as far as the crash is concerned, and the gravity of the crash.
If you followed the already explained steps above, expect the police to take a few days to investigate and comprehend the hit and run offender. Unfortunately, more than 90% of the hit and run cases lack concrete evidence and are not investigated by police.
Will cops come to your house for a hit and run?
Yes, there is a possibility police will come to your house for a hit and run. Police usually investigate the crime by interviewing eyewitnesses, reviewing accident footage, looking at accident pictures, and following up on leads.
If police confirm that you match the hit and run suspect, yes, the police may come to your house for questioning or even arrest you. It’s important you remember that the consequences of hit and run are serious and include jail time, fines, and or suspensions.
How to find out if a hit-and-run was reported?
According to what Moses said in the earlier paragraph, he learned that police were able to find him just because his car’s license plate numbers were captured by the security camera.
The following are steps you would take to know if the hit and run case was reported.
1. Check with the police. If you are the victim of the hit and run, call your local police to find out if there is any car accident already reported to them.
2. Call your insurance company. Probably police or the other driver could have called to report hit and run.
3. Local news outlets. If there were serious injuries, deaths, or significant property damages, there could be news circulating on local media.
4. Ask eyewitnesses. You could also ask eyewitnesses if any of them reported the crash to the police.
5. Check with hospitals. Probably the hit and run driver sought medical treatment in nearby hospitals. You may need to contact the hospitals around you.
How do police find hit-and-run drivers?
There are many ways police could find you if you committed a hit and run. Here is another example.
While riding his motorcyclist, John was hit by a car along Interstate 5, California. The car driver fled the accident scene leaving John to bleed to almost death.
“while on my near-death bed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, located in Los Angeles, police called to tell me that the hit and run driver was arrested”, said John.
“According to the police, some guy posted information on his Facebook group that police used to find the hit and run driver”, concluded John.
Other ways the police use to find hit-and-run drivers include:
- Reviewing surveillance footages
- Through eyewitnesses
- Physical evidence like car paint color, car parts/debris, etc.
- Visiting nearby auto repair shops and
- Following up on tips just like in Johns’s case.
How long will it take for the police to find me after a hit and run Texas?
Just like I already said, there is no specific time it takes police to find you in Texas after a hit and run.
Police will rely on the pieces of evidence provided to investigate and apprehend you. If you committed a minor hit and run, do not expect the police to aggressively look for you.
How long do hit and run investigations take in California?
Just like in Texas, it could take police hours, days, weeks, or years to find you if you committed a hit-and-run in California.
How long it takes for police to kick-start investigations depends on the evidence provided and the existence of any lead. Police will swing in and aggressively investigate the case if there are death or severe injuries.
Conclusion.
Hit and runs occur every day but the bad news is that most cases go unsolved because the other driver flees the scene without exchanging contact information.
Major hit and run cases are those where people are seriously injured or died. In such cases, police will forever continue hunting for the driver, unlike minor hit and runs which police usually deem investigations a waste of resources.
With strong evidence and good leads, it could take police hours to find you after a hit and run or the police may never find you at all.
