Leaving the Scene of an Accident under N.J.S.A. 39:4-129 is a very serious New Jersey ticket that can lead to a driver’s license suspension. Motor vehicle accidents occur everyday. Odds are, at some point in your life, you too will be involved in an accident if you have not already. What is of grave importance in motor vehicle accidents is how you respond to the ongoing situation. Remaining at the scene of the accident is not only expected of you morally, but also legally. If found guilty, Leaving the Scene of an Accident can carry up to a $5,000 fine or 180 days in jail if injuries are sustained as a result of the accident. Moreover, anyone convicted of Leaving the Scene of an Accident can face a mandatory license suspension for a first offense and even a lifetime suspension for any repeat offenders.
Losing your license for the remainder of your life may be worse than serving a period of imprisonment for some individuals who heavily rely on utilizing their drivers license. If you or someone you love are facing charges for leaving the scene of an accident, contact the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall and speak with an experienced traffic attorney today.
License Suspension for Leaving the Scene of an Accident (Personal Property Damage)
In addition to any fines or jail time imposed by the court, a defendant who leaves the scene of an accident of an attended vehicle where not injuries were sustained shall, for a first offense, forfeit the right to operate a motor vehicle in this State for a period of six (6) months from the date of conviction, and for a period of one (1) year from the date of conviction for any subsequent offense. When this period of license suspension ends, your license will not automatically renew. Rather you must pay a restoration fee to the Motor Vehicle Commission before your license will be reinstated.
License Suspension for Leaving the Scene of an Accident (Personal Injury)
Unlike those instances where you hit a parked car, hit an runs involving injuries are far more severe in both prosecution and penalization. Violation of this statute reads as follows: “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.”
If found in violation of said statute, you will face between a $2,500 and $5,000 fine, along with a year long license revocation. If you are a repeat offender, this license revocation will extend for the rest of your lifetime.
