Fairfax Hit and Run Charges

Fairfax Hit and Run charges are crimes and can result from failing to report any car accident, no matter how small or if anyone was injured.  This post discusses the three different Fairfax Hit and Run Charges: Fairfax Hit and Run charges involving unoccupied vehicles, Fairfax Hit and Run charges involving occupied vehicles, and Fairfax Hit and Run charges resulting in injury or death.

For more information on Fairfax Hit and Run charges involving damage to unoccupied property, click here.  For information on the Fairfax Hit and Run charges involving damage to occupied vehicles, click here.  For information on Fairfax Hit and Run charges resulting in death or injury, click here.

Fairfax Hit and Run Charges

Drivers must stop at the scene of any accident in which they are involved.  It does not matter who caused the accident.  The driver must provide his name, address, driver’s license number, and vehicle registration information. He also must render “reasonable assistance” to anyone injured.  Fairfax Hit and Run charges can result from any car accident that the driver fails to report.  A driver can be charged with a Hit and Run in Fairfax if he:

• caused damage to an unoccupied vehicle,
• caused damage to an occupied vehicle, or
• injured or killed someone as a result of the accident.

Passengers (over the age of 16) are required by law to report an accident to law-enforcement within 24 hours if the driver fails to do so.   The passenger will be charged under Va. Code §46.2-897 if damage was only to unoccupied property.  He will be charged under Va. Code §46.2-895 if the accident involved damage to occupied property or if the accident resulted in injury or death.  If the accident resulted only in property damage, the passenger will be charged with a misdemeanor.   If the accident resulted in injury or death, he will be charged with a felony.

Fairfax Hit and Run Charges Involving Property Damage

Va. Code §46.2-896 criminalizes failure to report an accident involving unoccupied property. A Fairfax driver involved in any car accident has a duty to find the owner of the damaged property and provide his vehicle information.  If the owner cannot be found, the driver must leave a note.  He also must report the accident to law enforcement within 24 hours.  For more information on Fairfax Hit and Run charges resulting in damage to unoccupied vehicles, click here.

Va. Code §46.2-894 criminalizes failure to report an accident involving an occupied vehicle, injury or death.  For more information on Fairfax Hit and Run charges involving damage to occupied property, click here.  For more information on Fairfax Hit and Run charges resulting in injury or death, click here.

Penalties for Fairfax Hit and Run Charges

Fairfax Hit and Run charges are punished with jail, fines, driver’s license suspension, and automatic DMV demerit points.

Penalties for Driver of Vehicle Convicted of Fairfax Hit and Run Charges

• Unoccupied Property (Damage Less Than $250): This charge is a Class 4 misdemeanor, punished with a fine up to $250.  Additionally, the DMV will add 3 demerit points to the offender’s Virginia driving record.
• Unoccupied Property (Damage More than $250 but less Than $500): This offense is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punished with up to 12 months in jail, a fine up to $2,500, and 3 DMV demerit points.
• Unoccupied Property (Damage More than $500): This offense is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punished with up to 12 months in jail, a fine up to $2,500, 4 DMV demerit points, and the offender’s driver’s license can be suspended for up to 6 months.
• Occupied Property (Damage Less  than $1,000): This offense is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punished with up to 12 months in jail, a fine up to $2,500, 4 DMV demerit points, and driver’s license suspension for up to 6 months if the property damage was more than $500.
• Occupied Property (Damage More than $1,000): Fairfax Hit and Run charges involving occupied property and resulting in more than $1,000 in damage are Class 5 felonies, punished with up to 10 years in prison, a fine up to $2,500, and the DMV will add 6 demerit points to the offender’s Virginia driving record.  If the property damage exceeded $500, the offender’s driver’s license can also be suspended for up to 6 months.
• Injury or Death: Fairfax Hit and Run charges resulting in injury or death are Class 5 felonies, punished with up to 10 years in prison, a fine up to $2,500, 6 demerit points on the offender’s Virginia driving record and driver’s license revocation for 1 year.

Penalties for Fairfax Hit and Run Charges Involving Passengers

• Unoccupied Property (Damage Less Than $250): A passenger who fails to report a Hit and Run in Fairfax resulting in less than $250 in property damage to an unoccupied vehicle has committed a Class 4 misdemeanor, punished with a fine up to $250.
• Unoccupied Property (Damage More Than $250) or Occupied Property: This offense is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punished with up to 12 months in jail, a fine up to $2,500, and if the property damage exceeded $500, the offender’s driver’s license can also be suspended for up to 6 months.
• Injury or Death: A passenger convicted of a Hit and Run charge in Fairfax that resulted in injury or death has committed a Class 6 felony, punished with up to 5 years in prison and a fine up to $2,500.

 

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