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Car hits a tour bus full of tourists and leave the scene of an accident Vehicle Code 20002 VC

833 views · Published 14 June 2017 · 17:39 · Indexed 18 October 2026

Channel: TONY VERA TVNEWS · 2017 · People & Blogs

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You may be charged with California misdemeanor hit and run under Vehicle Code 20002 VC if you:

leave the scene of an accident,
without first identifying yourself to the other party or parties involved, and
another's property was damaged in the accident.1 The difference between California misdemeanor hit and run and California felony hit and run lies in number three above.  While misdemeanor hit and run is concerned with property damage, felony hit and run is concerned with injury.  You can be charged with felony hit and run if someone (other than yourself) was injured or killed.2

These California hit and run laws apply to every car accident, regardless of:

Who was at fault,3
The amount of damage inflicted, or
The seriousness of the injury/injuries.
As a result, these laws, particularly misdemeanor hit and run, ensnare a lot of people who have no history with the criminal justice system...and no idea that they were doing anything that could be considered a crime!

For example, you could face California misdemeanor hit and run charges if you:

Drive away from a fender-bender where the other driver was obviously the one at fault,
Drive away after hitting and damaging someone else's fence with your car, or
Drive away from the scene of an accident that your driving may have caused...even though your own car didn't actually collide with another.
Penalties

Misdemeanor hit and run carries surprisingly steep penalties given the nature of the offense. If you are convicted, you may face a fine of up to one thousand dollars ($1,000)....or even a sentence of up to six (6) months in county jail!4

Legal Defenses

Given these penalties, it is well worth your while to fight these charges. An experienced California hit and run defense attorney can help you assert certain legal defenses that could lead to an acquittal on misdemeanor hit and run charges. These include:

Only your own car was damaged,
You didn't realize that you had been involved in an accident, or that someone else's property was damaged, and
It was actually someone else - not you - who was involved in the accident.
In this article, our California criminal defense attorneys will provide a comprehensive overview of California Vehicle Code 20002 VC -- misdemeanor hit and run -- by addressing the following:

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