A Marietta man was charged with two counts of felony murder, two counts of serious injury by vehicle, felony fleeing, felony hit-and-run, reckless driving and speeding after leaving the scene of an accident in Midtown where an 18-year-old and a baby died.
Hit-and-Run
In Georgia, a driver’s obligation to stop after being involved in a car accident is contemplated in the Georgia Code. Under Section 40-6-270, the driver of a vehicle that has been involved in an accident that results in injuries, death of a person, or damages to another vehicle has the obligation to stop at the scene and stay there until he or she fulfills the following:
- Provide his or her information and that of his vehicle to the other driver and to the police once it arrives.
- Show his/her driver’s license
- Provide assistance to any injured. This assistance can include transportation to a hospital.
- Contact emergency medical services and the police to report the accident and request assistance.
Penalties
- In case an accident is determined to have been the cause of serious injury or death, a driver involved in such an accident who fails to comply with these obligations will be found guilty of a felony and imprisoned for a term between one and five years.
- If the accident causes injury that is not serious or damage to another vehicle, a driver who is involved in the accident and who fails to comply with these obligations will be charged with a misdemeanor and imposed a fine between $300 and $1,000, and/or imprisoned for up to a year;
- In case of a second conviction of the same nature within five years from the date of the first arrest, a driver who flees the scene of the accident will be fined between $600 and $1,000.00 and/or imprisoned for up to a year. Previous pleas of nolo contendere accepted within such five-year period will be considered the equivalent of a conviction
- In case of a third conviction within five years a driver who does not comply with these obligations will be imposed a fine in the amount of $1,000.00 and/or imprisoned for up to a year.
Payment of the fines detailed above can be made in partial installments if determined by the judge that the defendant would suffer economic hardship otherwise.
What to do?
If injured in a hit and run accident, the priority is to ensure proper medical care. Therefore, an injured individual who is conscious should contact 911 as soon as possible. Following that, the victim should try to record any information he or she recalls regarding the accident such as the make and color of the car as well as the circumstances of the accident. This information will be helpful when the police arrive as well as to identify the driver who left the scene and eventually recover damages for the injuries suffered.