Wooster, Ohio criminal attorney

The Ohio Supreme Court recently clarified a driver’s duty under R.C. 4549.02(A)(1) before leaving the scene of an accident.  In State v. Bryant, 2020-Ohio-1041, the driver was charged with criminal offense of leaving the scene of an accident because he left the scene prior to a police officer arriving.  However, the driver had no knowledge that a police officer had been called, and provided his name, address, and license plate number to the other driver involved in the accident.  The Supreme Court held that the driver had complied with R.C. 4549.02(A)(1) by providing his name, address, and license plate number to the other driver.  The Court held that there is no duty to contact the police after an accident if no one is injured, and that a driver does not have a duty to wait for the police after providing their name, address, and license plate number to the other driver if the driver has no knowledge that the police have been called or are on their way.  The Bryant decision is critical to criminal attorneys defending hit and skip charges based on a failure to wait for the police.  Thus, the Court held that no criminal offense occurred.  A link to the decision can be found here.

http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2020/2020-Ohio-1041.pdf

Contact the criminal attorneys at the Brown Law Office today for a free consultation at 330-601-0101.  If you are charged with a criminal offense, we have the experience and skill necessary to evaluate and defend your case.