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Leaving the scene of an accident in violation of N.J.S.A. 39:4-129 is a very serious offense. If convicted, you face fines and a license suspension. You may also be sentenced to jail if there was an injury involved or property damage that exceeds a certain amount.
New Jersey’s highways are crowded with vehicles. Unfortunately, this means that there are a lot of accidents every day. The worst that you can do is leave the scene of an accident. If you are facing these charges, contact our office.
The law is clear on what you must do if you’re involved in an accident.
If there is no one around or no one in a condition to receive this information, you must report the accident to the nearest local, county or state police department.
If you hit a parked car or a building, and there is no one around to receive this information, write the information on a note, and leave it where the owner can see it.
Absolutely not.
All drivers involved in a car accident must stop their vehicles.
If anyone is injured or if either vehicle is disabled, you must call 911 or the police and wait.
You may be late for an important meeting or have other pressing appointments and don’t want to wait. It is understandable if you want to leave. However, the law says that you have to stop.
If you do leave you may be charged with leaving the scene of an accident.
The law says that you must stop if you are “knowingly” involved in an accident.
You will be presumed to know you were in an accident if you have an accident and there are damages of at least $250, or injuries.
In today’s world, accident damage of $250 could be a paint scratch. So, if you think you had an accident, even a minor one, it is best to stop.
As New Jersey lawyers handling leaving the scene of accident cases, we have had hundreds of cases where the client had a minor accident and left. Later, they got a ticket in the mail for leaving the scene of the accident in the mail.
Remember, there are smartphones and surveillance cameras everywhere. It’s simple for witnesses & law enforcement to get your license plate and find you.
The penalties depend on the circumstances of the accident. They can be severe.
If there was only damage to a vehicle or property, the penalties include:
Yes. If there is only property damage, the Motor Vehicle Commission will give you 2 points on your license. If there are any injuries reported, you can get up to 8 points on your license.
If your license gets suspended, your life will really get complicated. It may take months and thousands of dollars to restore your license. Making matters worse, your insurance premiums will skyrocket.
Wrong!
If you leave the scene of an accident, where there is serious bodily injury, you could be charged criminally with N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1.1, “Knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in serious bodily injury”.
This is a third-degree indictable offense.
If you were involved in an accident where there was a serious bodily injury, let us help you.
Yes. It is one year from the date of the accident.
The time limit to file a complaint is called a statute of limitations.
An officer who responds to the scene of an accident will look at many details to determine who caused the accident and who left the scene. Most times drivers who flee the scene are located.
They may examine:
We’ve represented out-of-state clients who thought the police would never find them. They returned home to Florida & California but they didn’t get away with it. The police found them.
If you are in an accident and you do not report it, you may be given a traffic ticket for N.J.S.A. 39:4-130, “Failure to report an accident”. This is a separate traffic infraction than N.J.S.A. 39:4-129.
If you plead guilty or are found guilty of failure to report an accident you will be fined from $30 to $100.
You should contact us immediately. We know how to analyze the facts of your case and determine your best defenses. You should not speak with anyone or give your “side of the story”. Anything you say can be used against you.
39:4-129.
(a) The driver of any vehicle, knowingly involved in an accident resulting in injury or death to any person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close thereto as possible but shall then forthwith return to and in every event shall remain at the scene until he has fulfilled the requirements of subsection (c) of this section. Every such stop shall be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary.
Any person who shall violate this subsection shall be fined not less than $2,500 nor more than $5,000, or be imprisoned for a period of 180 days, or both. The term of imprisonment required by this subsection shall be imposed only if the accident resulted in death or injury to a person other than the driver convicted of violating this section.
In addition, any person convicted under this subsection shall forfeit his right to operate a motor vehicle over the highways of this State for a period of one year from the date of his conviction for the first offense and for a subsequent offense shall thereafter permanently forfeit his right to operate a motor vehicle over the highways of this State.
(b)The driver of any vehicle knowingly involved in an accident resulting only in damage to a vehicle, including his own vehicle, or other property which is attended by any person shall immediately stop his vehicle at the scene of such accident or as close thereto as possible, but shall then forthwith return to and in every event shall remain at the scene of such accident until he has fulfilled the requirements of subsection (c) of this section.
Every such stop shall be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary. Any person who shall violate this subsection shall be fined not less than $200 nor more than $400, or be imprisoned for a period of not more than 30 days, or both, for the first offense, and for a subsequent offense, shall be fined not less than $400 nor more than $600, or be imprisoned for a period of not less than 30 days nor more than 90 days or both.
In addition, a person who violates this subsection shall, for a first offense, forfeit the right to operate a motor vehicle in this State for a period of six months from the date of conviction, and for a period of one year from the date of conviction for any subsequent offense.
(c)The driver of any vehicle knowingly involved in an accident resulting in injury or death to any person or damage to any vehicle or property shall give his name and address and exhibit his operator’s license and registration certificate of his vehicle to the person injured or whose vehicle or property was damaged and to any police officer or witness of the accident, and to the driver or occupants of the vehicle collided with and render to a person injured in the accident reasonable assistance, including the carrying of that person to a hospital or a physician for medical or surgical treatment, if it is apparent that the treatment is necessary or is requested by the injured person.
In the event that none of the persons specified are in condition to receive the information to which they otherwise would be entitled under this subsection, and no police officer is present, the driver of any vehicle involved in such accident after fulfilling all other requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of this section, insofar as possible on his part to be performed, shall forthwith report such accident to the nearest office of the local police department or of the county police of the county or of the State Police and submit thereto the information specified in this subsection.
(d)The driver of any vehicle which knowingly collides with or is knowingly involved in an accident with any vehicle or other property which is unattended resulting in any damage to such vehicle or other property shall immediately stop and shall then and there locate and notify the operator or owner of such vehicle or other property of the name and address of the driver and owner of the vehicle striking the unattended vehicle or other property or, in the event an unattended vehicle is struck and the driver or owner thereof cannot be immediately located, shall attach securely in a conspicuous place in or on such vehicle a written notice giving the name and address of the driver and owner of the vehicle doing the striking or, in the event other property is struck and the owner thereof cannot be immediately located, shall notify the nearest office of the local police department or of the county police of the county or of the State Police and in addition shall notify the owner of the property as soon as the owner can be identified and located. Any person who violates this subsection shall be punished as provided in subsection (b) of this section.
(e)There shall be a permissive inference that the driver of any motor vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury or death to any person or damage in the amount of $250.00 or more to any vehicle or property has knowledge that he was involved in such accident.
For purposes of this section, it shall not be a defense that the operator of the motor vehicle was unaware of the existence or extent of personal injury or property damage caused by the accident as long as the operator was aware that he was involved in an accident.
There shall be a permissive inference that the registered owner of the vehicle which was involved in an accident subject to the provisions of this section was the person involved in the accident; provided, however, if that vehicle is owned by a rental car company or is a leased vehicle, there shall be a permissive inference that the renter or authorized driver pursuant to a rental car contract or the lessee, and not the owner of the vehicle, was involved in the accident, and the requirements and penalties imposed pursuant to this section shall be applicable to that renter or authorized driver or lessee and not the owner of the vehicle.
Any person who suppresses, by way of concealment or destruction, any evidence of a violation of this section or who suppresses the identity of the violator shall be subject to a fine of not less than $250 or more than $1,000.
You or a loved one have been arrested. Understandably, you are terrified & have a lot of questions. You’ve heard about plea bargains & probation, but the process is overwhelming. You want a local attorney near you to represent you.
Mr. Peyrouton is from Ridgewood & handles all types of criminal matters in New Jersey The New Jersey Law Journal recently published one of his articles on the subject of criminal law.
Regardless of the criminal charges you are facing, we are here to defend & protect you. Whether you are facing a restraining order, drug charge, theft charge, or aggravated assault charge, we are here to help you. Even a DWI case can really complicate your life.
If we can’t get your charges dismissed, we can either get them downgraded or place you in a diversionary program. The point is, our criminal defense lawyers will fight tirelessly to get you the best result possible. Take advantage of our free consultation to see how we can help.
There are plenty of excellent Hackensack criminal lawyers in our area. Most, if not all of them, offer free, 20-minute, consultations. However, our free consultations do not have a time limit. You will never feel rushed.
The best way for us to help you is to patiently listen to your side of the story. Your version of events will serve as the basis for your legal defense. It is during these initial meetings that your memory of the event is fresh in your mind. Why we would rush you during such an important aspect of your case.
We understand that your choice of attorney could mean the difference between your freedom and spending years behind bars.
When you hire an attorney, you are entering a long-term relationship. For this reason, it is important that you feel comfortable with the team of Hackensack criminal lawyers that will represent you.
Our criminal defense law firm handles criminal matters throughout Northern New Jersey — including, but not limited to, clients in the following localities:
BERGEN COUNTY, including Hackensack, Elmwood Park, Teaneck, Fort Lee, Rochelle Park, Fair Lawn, Garfield, Englewood, Bergenfield, Paramus, Mahwah, Cliffside Park, Ridgewood, Lodi, Lyndhurst, and Palisades Park,
PASSAIC COUNTY, including Paterson, Clifton, Passaic, Wayne, and West Milford;
HUDSON COUNTY, including Jersey City, Union City, Bayonne, North Bergen, Hoboken, West New York, Kearny, and Secaucus;
ESSEX COUNTY, including Newark, East Orange, Irvington, West Orange, Montclair, Belleville, Livingston, Nutley, Maplewood, and Millburn.
HACKENSACK OFFICE
200 Passaic St, Hackensack, NJ 07601
Phone: (201) 686-9538
alan@peyroutonlaw.com
No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Before making your choice of an attorney, you should give this matter careful thought. If this advertisement is inaccurate or misleading, you may report same to the Committee on Attorney Advertising at Hughes Justice Complex, P.O. Box 037, Trenton, NJ 08625
