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• Escambia School Board Buys 36 Acres For $3.9 Million For New Beulah School
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• Man Gets 50 Years In Prison For 2022 Murder At Cantonment Gas Station
• Pedestrian Checking Trailer Tire Struck By Car In Two Vehicle Crash Near Century

Hit And Run Crashes On The Increase

Florida has experienced an alarming increase in the number of fatal hit and run crashes during the last two years, and law enforcement agencies are teaming up to spread the word that fleeing the scene of an accident can result in tougher penalties.

“There were more than 80,000 hit and run crashes in Florida last year, a seven percent increase from 2013.  Leaving the scene makes the situation worse, not only for those who flee, but even more so for the victims left behind,” said DHSMV Executive Director Terry L. Rhodes. “It is crucial that all individuals involved in a crash, including witnesses to a crash, contact 911 and remain at the scene until help arrives. Every life matters and every second counts.”

There were 4,848 hit and run crashes in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties during a three year period with 14 resulting fatalities. During 2015, there have been two fatal hit and run crashes involving pedestrians in Escambia County.

What to do after a crash, according to FHP:

• CALL law enforcement.
• REMAIN calm.
• ATTAIN vehicle, witness and driver information.
• SKETCH the scene, showing vehicle crash locations.
• HELP the injured.

A few hit and run facts for Florida:

• Hit and run crashes involving fatalities increased 23 percent from 2013 to 2014.
• Forty-six counties saw an increase in hit and runs from 2013 to 2014.
• The number of hit and run crashes statewide has increased seven percent from 2013 to 2014.
• Nearly half of the hit and run fatalities in 2014 were pedestrians, a 17 percent increase from 2013.
• Twenty-five percent of all crashes are hit and run crashes.

What does Florida law say?

As of July 2014, with the enactment of the Aaron Cohen Life Protection Act, consequences of leaving the scene  of a crash have been enhanced. The Act:

• Punishes leaving the scene of a crash resulting in serious bodily injury to a person as a second degree felony, rather than a third degree felony.
• Imposes a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of four years for a driver convicted of leaving the scene of a crash resulting in the death of a person.
• Increases the mandatory minimum term of imprisonment from two to four years for a driver convicted of leaving the scene of a crash resulting in the death of a person while driving under the influence (DUI).
• Imposes a minimum driver license revocation period of at least three years, and driver education requirements for leaving the scene of a crash.
• Ranks offenses for leaving the scene of a crash one level higher than specified in the Criminal Punishment Code if the victim of the offense was a “vulnerable road user” (such as a pedestrian, a bicyclist or a motorcyclist).