State of Florida cracking down on hit and runs

LEE COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is cracking down on hit-and-runs in the state.

In just the last year, hit-and-run crashes resulted in 266 deaths and over 1,000 serious injuries.

Most of those deaths were pedestrians.

There was a study in 2021, by Value Penguin, that showed the number of fatal hit and runs continues to increase.

Over the last decade, that number has increased by over 44%.

That's why the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is taking action.

They're enforcing a stay-at-the-scene order.

If the crash is involving property damage and you leave the scene, they're marking it as a second-degree misdemeanor.

You could spend up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

If you leave the scene of a crash that involves injuries, then it will be a second or third-degree felony.

If a driver is convicted, then their license will be revoked for at least 3 years and they can be sentenced up to 5 years in prison.