Florida DUI laws are among the toughest in the nation. Every week seems to bring news of another tragic DUI accident in which the driver of another car, a pedestrian, or the impaired driver themselves are severely injured or killed in a tragic alcohol or drug-related accident. As seriously as police and prosecutors take these cases, they treat drivers who flee the scene of a DUI accident even more harshly.
The hit-and-run laws in Florida are on the books partly to prevent people involved in accidents from abandoning their legal responsibility. But it is the driver’s duty to stay at the scene to render aid or summon emergency medical services, which makes this crime so serious in the eyes of most criminal court judges.
Getting Experienced Criminal Defense for DUI Hit and Run Charges in Florida
If you or someone in your family were involved in a DUI accident and left the scene without identifying yourself or aiding those injured, and you have not yet turned yourself in, immediately contact Stechschulte Nell, Attorneys at Law in Tampa.
Only criminal defense lawyers with prior experience in these situations are best able to provide you with the most reliable guidance about which actions you need to take to protect your legal interests. Don’t wait to be arrested.
Florida DUI Hit and Run Laws
Florida Statute 316.027 provides that every driver involved in a crash in which another person suffers an injury less than a serious injury is legally required to take the following action:
#1. Immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the crash or as close thereto as possible,
#2. Remain at the crash scene until he or she has fulfilled the requirements of s. 316.062, which include:
- provide the other party with your name, address, and the registration number of the vehicle you were driving,
- show the other party your driver’s license/permit if requested, to any person injured or whose property was damaged,
- show the police your driver’s license at the scene or during the investigation,
- and render reasonable assistance to any person injured, including transporting, or arranging for transportation of the injured person for medical treatment if apparently necessary or if the injured person asks.
Penalty: (Less than Serious Injury) – 3rd Degree Felony – Up to 5 years in prison and $5,000 fine.
Penalty: (Accident w/ Serious Injury) – 2nd Degree Felony – Up to 15 years in prison and $10,000 fine.
Penalty: (Accident w/ Death) – 1st Degree Felony – Minimum of 4 years and up to 30 years in prison and $10,000 fine.
DUI Accident Hit and Run
Any driver who is proven to be in control of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs faces the full range of penalties imposed for the DUI. Those include up to 6 months in jail for a first offense without aggravating factors. However, each aggravating factor can increase the possible sentence substantially. These aggravating factors include:
- Blood/breath alcohol content (BAC) reading above 0.15
- Involved in an accident
- Injured another person (severity of the injury will weigh heavily)
- Minor in the car at the time of the DUI
- Prior convictions for DUI or Refusing a Chemical Test
And “leaving the scene of a DUI accident” is one of the most serious of all aggravating factors, especially if someone else was seriously injured or killed.
A Florida driver convicted of DUI manslaughter and Leaving the Scene of an accident in which someone was killed will face a mandatory minimum of 4 years in prison and up to 30 years in state prison.
What Can a Florida DUI Hit and Run Defense Lawyer Do?
Any driver who has fled the scene of a DUI accident needs to contact a Florida DUI hit-and-run defense lawyer immediately.
Why? Because the experienced defense lawyer will meet with the driver and arrange for them to surrender to the police in a safe and orderly manner. Experienced DUI hit-and-run defense lawyers know there is no benefit in avoiding detection or running from the police. These mistaken actions only damage the court’s perception of the driver and increase the risk of injury to both the driver and police if a forceful arrest is necessary.
At Stechschulte Nell, Attorneys at Law in Tampa, our many years of courtroom activity earned us the respect and trust of the courts, prosecutors, and police. We fully consult with our DUI hit-and-run clients before approaching authorities and prepare them for the process. We advise the police that no statement will be given without counsel being present.
Read More > The Real Facts About Hiring a Criminal Defense Attorney
DUI Hit and Run Defense
Every case involves different facts; each defendant presents a unique life history. Stechschulte Nell uses every detail to benefit our client’s legal interests.
The defense of a case may be based on the lack of evidence relating to alcohol impairment or whether the defendant was the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident. A client’s own injuries may have necessitated their need to leave the scene for treatment, or they may have been disoriented from a head injury.
If you or someone you love has been involved in a hit and run DUI and need skilled criminal defense, the right Tampa defense lawyers can save your liberty and defend your case. Contact Stechschulte Nell Law at 813-280-1244 for a FREE DUI case review today.
