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Leaving the scene of personal injury in Concord is a serious offense that carries a license suspension and the possibility of jail time. If you have been charged with this crime, seek the help of an experienced Concord criminal defense attorney. Speak with Attorney Chris Spring today at (617) 513-9444.
In order to convict a defendant of leaving the scene of personal injury, the Commonwealth must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant:
The second element is ordinarily easy to prove – the Commonwealth must establish that a driver was operating (or otherwise in control of) the car and that the operation occurred on a public way (any road maintained by the local, state, or federal government). The fourth element is also usually not in dispute, because if the defendant had stopped and provided his or her information, leaving the scene of personal injury charges would not have been issued. Therefore, most leaving the scene of personal injury defendants dispute the first and third elements – that he or she was the driver and knowingly collided with another person, causing injury to that person. There are two general avenues of defense for these types of cases.
Because the driver of the car failed to stop after the accident, the identity of the driver will almost always be an issue. It is not sufficient for the Commonwealth to prove only that the defendant owned the car. The Commonwealth must also prove that the defendant was driving the car at the time of the accident. Any eyewitnesses who claimed to identify the defendant would be subject to an aggressive cross-examination regarding issues such as:
When the investigating police officers believe they have identified the driver, they will often seek to have the independent witnesses confirm the identity in one of two ways:
In some cases, the police will bring the witnesses to a location where the alleged driver is waiting so the witnesses can either confirm or deny the driver’s identification. These identification procedures are typically very suggestive (particularly if the suspect is in handcuffs, as is often the case), and may be challenged by motions to suppress. Attorney Spring has won motions to suppress on this issue.
Sometimes the police will compile a number of photographs (usually 8), including the defendant’s photograph, to show to the witnesses with the hope that the witnesses will be able to pick out the defendant and identify him or her as the driver. There are strict rules the police must follow in order to properly execute a photographic lineup and admit the results in court. Attorney Spring has successfully argued motions to suppress the results of photographic lineups in court.
In many of these cases, the defendant is unaware that he or she has collided with another person. Particularly if it is dark outside and the defendant backs into the victim, there becomes a serious issue regarding the defendant’s state of mind. If the defendant did not know that a person was struck, he or she cannot be found guilty of leaving the scene of personal injury.
Regardless of whether you have been accused of leaving the scene of a death, leaving the scene of property damage, or reckless operation of a motor vehicle, our Concord criminal defense attorneys can help you seek justice. Call us or contact us online today for a free consultation.