Will cops come to your house for a hit and run?
You have always considered yourself a law-abiding citizen. But on that fateful day, panic and fear got the better of you following a car accident you were involved in.
Enjoying your ride after that late evening party where you downed a couple of bottles, your senses were dulled by the liquor in you. You then had a collision with another car or pedestrian because of your blurred vision.
Your senses are then awakened by the crash and you wondered if you should leave the scene of an accident, or stay and face the wrath of the victims whom you just crashed.
Recommended reading: What evidence is needed to convict a hit and run?
Luckily, no one saw you because the other victims seems to be injured or for any other reason are trapped in their car in the night. You then finally decided to flee the scene of an accident.
Well, as anyone else would do, you are damn afraid! will the police ever find you? will the cops show up at your home to arrest you for the hit and run? how long will take the police to find you after fleeing the scene of an accident?
You may not be the hit and run driver. You may be a key witness or one of the drivers or passengers. will the cops still visit your house during a hit-and-run investigation process? Does speaking to an attorney help?
Well, in the article, I will explain exactly the circumstances by which police could come to your house following a hit and run, and I will also help you understand the penalties and how to overcome such situations.
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What is a hit and run incident, and why is it a serious offense?
“According to traffic laws, you must stop at the scene of an accident and provide your identification as well as your insurance information to the other driver(s)”, says Gary C Eisenberg, a personal injury lawyer.
“Additionally, you are also morally and legally obligated to offer help if any person is injured, and also you must invite authorities to compile a crash report”, concludes Gary C Eisenberg.
Failure to observe the abovementioned implies you committed a hit and run which is a serious criminal offense.
According to R. Bret Beattie, a senior trial attorney at, Eisenberg Law Group, “A hit and run is a serious offense because it carries serious penalties like jail time/prison time, monetary fines, and other civil claims”.
What are the legal implications and penalties for a hit and run offense?
Since we come from different localities, the legal implications and penalties of leaving the scene of an accident depend on your area of jurisdiction and the circumstances of the accident.
But generally speaking, the following are some of the legal implications and penalties of a hit-and-run offense.
1. Driver’s license suspension. Your driving license could be suspended for up to 1-24 months once you are found guilty of a hit and run.
2. Hit-and-run criminal charges. Charges of hit and run depend on factors like: the extent of injuries/property damages, whether is it your first or subsequent offenses, whether was it a parked car or an unattended car, and what are your past criminal records.
Depending on the above factors and others not mentioned, you may face either a felony hit and run, or a misdemeanor hit and run.
Of course, the above-mentioned 2 charges carry different penalties whereby, the punishments of a felony are more severe than a misdemeanor.
3. Monetary fines. Convicted hit and run drivers may find themselves subjected to several fines. The amount you will pay depends on your state of jurisdiction, the extent of injuries/damages, and whether it’s your first time or second offense.
4. Criminal records. Leaving the scene of an accident may result in a criminal record. Such a bad record could affect your future employment, housing, and other civil rights.
Recommended reading: Is a hit and run considered an accident to state farm insurance?
5. Imprisonment. If you are convicted of a hit-and-run felony, chances are very high of going to jail or prison. The length of time you will spend behind bars will depend on the circumstances of the incident and the laws in your locality.
4. Civil Liability. people who suffered injuries or losses have a right to sue to recover the losses or damages they incurred. You will be asked to compensate the victims of hit and run by paying for the medical bills, property damages, pain, and suffering etc,
What steps are involved in a hit and run investigation?
“Before police decide to come to your house for a hit and run, they will first carry out the necessary investigation to make sure you are the guy behind a hit and run”, says Jim, a police officer at Albany Police Department.
According to Jim, “A hit and run investigation involves responding to the scene, gathering witness statements, examining physical evidence, identifying the vehicle through databases and surveillance footage, seeking public assistance, and ultimately making an arrest and pursuing prosecution”.
“How long a hit and run investigation lasts depends on many factors like the severity of the crime, how busy is the police, the resources at the police’s disposal, and definitely pieces of evidence at hand”, concludes Jim.
How do police determine whether to visit a person’s house for a hit and run?
Police will not barge into your home without clear evidence that points you to the crime.
How police determine whether to visit your home for a hit and run will be guided by the information they have that attaches you to the crime.
Their decision to come to your home will be based on the pieces of evidence they have against you, witness statements, vehicle information, and any other leads that point to you as a prime suspect.
Actually, the decision to visit your house is typically made when there is reasonable cause to believe that you may have been involved in the hit and run incident.
When would the police come to your residence for a hit and run?
Note that police would come to your residence after a hit-and-run for many reasons. Some of these are:
1. Follow up on the reported incident. As a traffic regulation, you must call the police and report the accident. You must provide your name, your address, the location of the incident, time and description of the accident.
In turn, police may ask you to complete a statement either over the phone or in person. If the police deem it right, they may invite you to the police station or come to your house for 1-on-1 statements.
2. Gathering evidence. Police may also come to your home to gather evidence like eyewitness statements, look at the car damages, and debris left behind, and also take the necessary pictures.
Further reading: Do police investigate minor hit and runs?
3. Follow up. If you have or have just gotten new evidence or leads, the cops may consider coming to your home for more investigations. Probably you are a victim and now have the footage of the car accident.
4. Arrest you. If the police has adequate evidence pinning you to the hit and run incident, they may consider coming to your house to arrest you.
What factors influence whether the police visit your home for a hit and run?
If you are the guy who was involved in the accident, or you are a witness to the scene, soon or later, police may decide to visit your home after a hit and run.
Though factors that influence whether the police visit your home for a hit and run depend on the circumstances of the incident and your role in the investigations, the following are general reasons that influence police actions.
1. Severity of the incident. “If there were serious injuries or deaths involved in the hit and run accident, police are likely to take it more seriously and conduct an extensive investigation, thus may come to your house”, says Tonny, a police officer at San Diego Police Headquarters
2. Availability of information. If you are a witness and the police think you are holding some further valuable information, the police may later decide to visit your house for further investigations.
3. Presence of witnesses. In any hit and run incident, eyewitnesses and car features are key in identifying the suspect.
If you are the only key witness in the hit and run investigations, expect the police to be ‘at your case at any time’. This is because you are their only hope of ever catching the person who illegally left the scene of an accident.
4. Pieces of evidence like debris from the suspect’s car also help in identifying the hit-and-run offender. Police may visit you if you collected such evidence for further investigations.
5. Ongoing investigation. The police handling a hit and run could visit your home at any time during investigations if they do believe you could be a source of any valuable information.
To sum it up, Factors influencing police visiting for a hit and run: the severity of incident, available information, witnesses, physical evidence, and ongoing investigation.
What actions should you take if you’re involved in a hit and run?
what happens in the aftermath of any auto accident depends on your actions. You could be the innocent driver but the at-fault one twists events against you.
Soon after the accident, what you should be worried about is possible lawsuits, possible insurance claims, and traffic violations.
You must act right away or otherwise, you could be headed to double or multiple losses in addition to possible consequences of auto accidents.
According to my own opinion, here is what you should do after a hit and run accident: Stay at the scene, check for injuries, document details, contact police, gather evidence, talk to witnesses, and notify insurance company.
What to expect if the police come to your house for a hit and run?
As I already said, police will likely look for you if they think you have anything valuable in the investigation of a hit and run incident.
In most cases, police will try to speak to you if in the accident you were a passenger, an eyewitness, or a driver or if they think you are the prime suspect.
“If police come to your house for a hit and run, expect an investigation, providing a statement, evidence examination, follow-up inquiries, updates on the investigation, and support from the police”, says Benjamin, a police officer at Foothill Police Station
Can law enforcement obtain a warrant to search your house for hit and run evidence?
Just like any other case under investigation, yes, police can obtain a warrant to search your house for a hit and run evidence, if they have cause to believe that the evidence related to the incident is present.
Though the procedures of obtaining a search warrant vary from place to place, below are steps police take to get a search warrant before coming to your house.
The police will first present the case to the judge or magistrate stating the probable cause and requesting to be granted a search warrant.
Read further: Can you leave the scene of an accident after exchanging information?
The judge or magistrate goes on to examine available information and then decides either to deny them or issue them the search warrant.
Alternatives to police coming to your house for a hit and run incident?
There are many alternatives to police coming to your house for a hit and run incident. These include;
1. Reporting the incident online or over the phone. Many authorities have options for reporting auto accidents other than walking into police stations. Yes, you are free o speak to the police online.
2. Visiting the police station. Other than coming to your house, police may ask you to visit the police station for questioning or statements.
3. Virtual communication. In certain localities, the police can conduct virtual interviews or statements via video conferencing platforms. This allows you to give your account without walking into the police station.
Conclusion.
It’s true, there is a possibility of cops coming to your house if there is a reasonable cause to believe that the evidence related to the hit-and-run case is present.
In reality, police will visit your house if they believe you have something to do with the hit and run incident.
If you are a suspect, one of the drivers, eyewitnesses, or any person in possession of valuable information or evidence, then the cops will definitely think of speaking to you.
Ways police get to speak to you is by physically visiting your house, inviting you to the police station, online reporting, or video conferencing.
Source/ References.
1. What You Should Do if You’re Involved in a Hit-and-Run. Website: https://www.idrivesafely.com/defensive-driving/trending/what-exactly-hit-and-run-accident
2. What Evidence Is Needed to Convict a Hit-and-Run? Website: https://www.dkblawyers.com/what-evidence-is-needed-to-convict-a-hit-and-run/#:~:text=Blood%20spatter%20patterns%2C%20samples%20of,vehicle%20damage%2C%20especially%20paint%20transfer.
3. Albany Police Department. website: http://www.albanyca.org/index.aspx?page=47
4. Traffic Laws & Driving Rules. website: https://www.progressive.com/lifelanes/on-the-road/common-traffic-laws/
