AboutJim Pastore Expertise I am a 23 yr veteran Police Officer in Ohio. I also am a past FOP Lodge President. I am well versed in Ohio laws both crminal and labor related, as well as Police contract neogations.
Experience I have been assigned to the vice unit, the tactical response team and am currently a certified crime scene investigator and a certified Police Instructor. I am curently retired on disability after being injured in the line of duty. I retired on August 23, 2000 after 23 years as a Police Officer. I am now living in the Ft Myers Florida area..
Expert: Jim Pastore Date: 9/8/2005 Subject: Leaving scene of accident?
Question Jim:
Hi. Several months ago my friend and I were involved in a car accident, and she is now being charged with leaving the scene. This didn't happen in Ohio, but I don't really understand why the police should charge her with this. I had called 911 from my cell phone and the dispatcher had a hard time figuring out where we were located, as we were all unfamiliar with the area. I checked the other vehicle and nobody had any serious injuries so we decided we could go to the hospital independently and cancelled the ambulance and she said she'd send the police. We waited for quite a while, and the police never came. We got the other drivers information and we gave them my friends name and phone number but we were unsure of her insurance becuase she was not driving her car. We were on our way to pick her car up from the garage, which we had to get to before they closed becuase we needed her car to go back home that night. The car we were driving was still drivable so we decided to leave to go get her car, while the other driver waited for a tow truck. We ended up getting a call several weeks later for leaving the scene. My friend is just now going to court even though this happened in February. Is this something she should try to fight? and can the police wait this long to bring about charges?
Thanks,
Teila
Answer Teila,
Hi! In Ohio all you are required to by law is stop and give your insurance information and name, phone number and address to the other party in the event of an accident. However if there are injury's then your required to stay at the scene unless of course your taken away by ambulance. I'm not sure how the law is in whatever state this happened though.
It sounds to me from what your saying you guy's didn't leave the scene to try to avoid the police or to avoid responsibility for the accident. However you never know how the court will look at it. One of the problems in court may be what the other driver will say.
Leaving the scene is a serious enough charge that if it were me I would retain an attorney and not take my chance by going to court by myself. Even if there is no jail time involved the cost of the fine, court costs, your insurance premium going up, it may just be cheaper to have an attorney. I would think from what you have told me a good attorney could get the charge thrown out.
I hope this helped somewhat. If I can be of more help just ask.
