Hit-and-Run Accidents: A Complete Guide

A hit-and-run is one of the most frustrating and dangerous outcomes of a traffic crash. The driver who caused the harm simply leaves, often before anyone can record a license plate, taking with them the very information a victim needs to get medical bills paid and to hold the right person accountable. This guide explains what legally counts as a hit-and-run, how common these crashes have become, why drivers flee, and the practical steps to take if it happens to you.

What Legally Counts as a Hit-and-Run

A hit-and-run occurs when a driver who is involved in a crash leaves the scene without meeting their legal obligations. Every state imposes a basic duty after a collision: stop at or near the scene, identify yourself by exchanging your name, contact details, and insurance information, and render reasonable aid to anyone who is hurt. Many states require drivers to call police when there are injuries or significant property damage.

It does not matter who caused the crash. The duty to stop applies to every driver involved, even a driver who was not at fault. The obligation also covers crashes that damage a parked car or other property, where the law typically requires the driver to locate the owner or leave a note with contact information. Leaving the scene, often charged as "leaving the scene of an accident" or "failure to stop and render aid," is a criminal offense in every state, and the penalties grow more serious when someone is injured or killed.

How Common They Are and the Rising Trend

Hit-and-run crashes have climbed to record levels. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, hit-and-run crashes killed 2,972 people in 2022, the highest number ever recorded and about 7 percent of all U.S. traffic deaths ¹. That figure rose sharply from just a few years earlier, when the same researchers reported that 2,049 hit-and-run deaths in 2016 were a record at the time ². The upward trend has not stopped: 15 percent of all police-reported crashes in 2023 involved a driver who fled the scene, the highest share in recent years ³.

The burden falls hardest on people outside a vehicle. More than 70 percent of those killed in hit-and-run crashes were pedestrians or bicyclists ¹, and about 1 in 4 pedestrians killed in crashes in 2023 were struck by a driver who fled the scene ³. Darkness compounds the danger, with nearly 80 percent of hit-and-run fatalities occurring in the dark ¹. For context, 7,314 pedestrians and 1,155 bicyclists were killed in U.S. crashes in 2023, and pedestrian deaths have risen 78 percent since 2009 ⁴. Against a backdrop of 39,254 total motor vehicle crash deaths in 2024 ⁵, the share that ends with a driver fleeing keeps growing.

Why Drivers Flee

AAA researchers found that the people who flee often have a reason to fear contact with police. Fewer than half of hit-and-run drivers are ever identified, and among those who are, a large share were not supposed to be driving at all: 2 in 5 hit-and-run drivers lacked a valid license ¹. Most were young males who crashed close to their own neighborhood, and more than half were driving a vehicle they did not personally own ¹. Common motivations include driving under the influence, carrying no insurance, having an outstanding warrant, or simply panicking in the seconds after impact. None of these reasons excuse leaving an injured person behind, but they help explain why hit-and-run drivers tend to be the riskiest drivers on the road.

What to Do If You Are the Victim of a Hit-and-Run

The minutes after a hit-and-run matter. If you are able, take these steps:

• Get to safety and call 911. Report any injuries and ask for both police and medical help.
• Capture the fleeing vehicle. Note the make, model, color, any partial or full license plate, direction of travel, and visible damage. Write it down before memory fades.
• Do not chase the driver. Pursuit is dangerous and can pull you away from witnesses and evidence.
• Find witnesses. Get names and phone numbers. A bystander may have caught the plate you missed.
• Document the scene. Photograph your vehicle, your injuries, debris, skid marks, and the surroundings.
• Look for cameras. Nearby traffic, doorbell, or business cameras may have recorded the crash.
• File a police report. An official report number is important for any insurance claim.
• See a doctor promptly. Some injuries surface hours or days later, and a medical record ties them to the crash.

The Insurance Angle: Uninsured Motorist Coverage

When the at-fault driver is never found, your own auto policy may be the only source of recovery. Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage is designed for this situation, and in many states a hit-and-run driver is treated as an uninsured driver because there is no identified insurer to pay. Some policies also include uninsured motorist property damage or collision coverage that can help repair your vehicle.

The details vary widely. States differ on whether UM coverage is mandatory, how much is required, and what proof of contact or a timely report is needed for a hit-and-run claim. Reporting the crash to police and to your insurer quickly helps preserve these options. This is general information, not legal or insurance advice; review your own policy and ask your insurer or agent how your coverage applies.

Fault and the Criminal vs. Civil Dimension

A hit-and-run can move through two separate legal tracks. On the criminal side, the state may charge the fleeing driver with leaving the scene, and penalties escalate from a misdemeanor to a felony when there is injury or death. On the civil side, an injured person may seek compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other harm. These tracks are independent: a criminal conviction does not automatically pay a victim's bills, and a victim can pursue a civil claim even when the driver is never criminally charged. How fault is assigned, what damages are available, and which deadlines apply are highly fact-specific and differ by state. This section is general information and not legal advice.

Prevention and Safety

No habit can guarantee that another driver will stop, but a few measures lower your risk and improve your odds of identifying a fleeing driver. A dashcam can capture a plate and the moment of impact. Defensive driving, leaving following distance, and staying alert at intersections reduce the chance of a collision in the first place. Because pedestrians and cyclists are so disproportionately represented among hit-and-run victims, and because most of these deaths happen in the dark, visibility matters: use lights and reflective gear at night, cross at marked crosswalks, and make eye contact with drivers before stepping out. Reporting reckless or impaired drivers can take a high-risk driver off the road before a crash happens.

Why It Matters After a Crash

A hit-and-run can leave you with serious injuries and, at first, no one obvious to hold responsible. That is exactly why fast, careful action matters. Documenting the scene, gathering witnesses, filing a police report, and getting prompt medical care protect both your health and your ability to recover costs, whether the driver is eventually found or you turn to your own uninsured motorist coverage. Keep every record, follow your treatment plan, and report new or worsening symptoms to your doctor right away.

This guide is general information and is not legal or medical advice.

Sources

1. AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, "Understanding the Increase in Fatal Hit-and-Run Crashes: Prevalences of Crashes, Injuries, and Deaths in the United States, 2017-2023." https://aaafoundation.org/research/understanding-the-increase-in-fatal-hit-and-run-crashes-prevalences-of-crashes-injuries-and-deaths-in-the-united-states-2017-2023/

2. AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, "Hit-and-Run Crashes: Prevalence, Contributing Factors and Countermeasures." https://aaafoundation.org/hit-and-run-crashes-prevalence-contributing-factors-and-countermeasures/

3. AAA Newsroom, "Fatal Hit-and-Run Crashes Reach Record High, AAA Foundation Study Finds." https://newsroom.aaa.com/2026/03/fatal-hit-and-run-crashes-reach-record-high-aaa-foundation-study-finds/

4. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), "Pedestrians and bicyclists." https://www.iihs.org/topics/pedestrians-and-bicyclists

5. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), "Fatality Facts: State by state." https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/state-by-state