A crash involving a pair of cars and a motorcycle has attracted additional attention from Sarasota County police after one driver fled the scene.
According to police, the accident occurred on I-75 North at Bee Ridge Road, close to mile marker 207 in late January. Officials from the Florida Highway Patrol said the accident was reported at approximately 7:30 p.m. The extent of the accident and injuries was unreported, but there were no fatalities.
However, at least one person left the scene to Ridgelake Apartments. Police targeted the apartment complex in their search for the individual in the hopes of finding anyone who might have been involved.
Leaving an accident site is illegal
When an accident occurs, all parties are expected to remain at the scene and wait for help to arrive. Leaving the scene of an accident is a minimum of a misdemeanor. When there are injuries or fatalities in an accident, then leaving the scene rises to the level of a felony, meaning a person who flees could be at risk of jail time, sizable fines and other potential consequences.
It also is simply the right thing to do to stay behind and make sure everyone who was involved in the accident is okay and to provide any assistance necessary before police or medical responders arrive. At the very least, all involved parties will need to exchange insurance and contact information for insurance claims they may need to make.
If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident caused by another person’s negligence, contact an experienced Bradenton, FL personal injury lawyer at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez & Walsh to learn more about how you can proceed with filing an accident claim.