Hit & Run Crashes in San Angelo

Hit & Run Crashes continue to be a big problem in San Angelo.  So far this year, 608 incidents were reported and 5 of those included injury to a person.  In 2012, San Angelo had 817 reported incidents.
San Angelo Police are hopeful that recent changes to State laws and stiffer penalties regarding these crashes may help deter drivers from leaving the scene of a crash without making proper notification.  These updated laws require the following:

• Duty for drivers involved in accidents where personal injury, death, or damage to occupied vehicles: The driver shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close to the scene as possible, and remain at the scene of the accident and provide their name, address, vehicle registration number, and insurance information to the person injured or the occupants of the other vehicle.  If requested, drivers are required to show their driver’s license to the occupants of the other vehicle involved in the accident.  They are also required to provide any person injured in the accident reasonable assistance including transportation or arranging for transportation of the injured person to a medical facility for treatment.

Penalty: Accident causing bodily injury is punishable by confinement in TDCJ for not more than 5 years, or County Jail not more than one year, and up to a $5000.00 fine.  Accident causing serious bodily injury is a 2rd Degree Felony.  Damage to a vehicle [only] is a Class C Misdemeanor if the amount of damage is under $200 and a Class B Misdemeanor if the amount of damage is over $200.

• Duty on striking an unattended vehicle or fixed object: The driver shall immediately stop at the scene and locate the owner of the other vehicle or leave in a conspicuous place a written notice giving the person’s name, address.  If it is a fixed object, they shall attempt to locate the owner or person in charge of the property and provide them with his name, address, and vehicle registration.  Punishment is the same as striking an occupied vehicle.

  Penalty: Same as striking an occupied vehicle.

“We take hit and run crashes seriously, especially those that include injury.  Our stance will be seeking the stiffest penalty allowed if someone leaves the scene of a crash and leaves behind an injured person.”       Chief Tim Vasquez