That is a criminal offence.
Is it a crime to accidentally hit someone with your car. Long after you serve your time you could experience challenges because of your criminal record. After a car-pedestrian accident in which the driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs the driver can likely look forward to a DUI arrest and conviction. But you may be cited for animal cruelty or for ignoring property damage notification obligations for failure to report hitting a pet in some states.
Can You Go to Jail for Accidentally Killing Someone in a Car Accident. Driving is a huge responsibility that should be done carefully to avoid causing injury or death to pedestrians. The best thing to do.
The crime is considered a felony and could result in jail time. If you break a law the state prosecutes you as a criminal matter. A lot depends on which US state you are in.
If you are convicted of criminal vehicular homicide you can face the following additional penalties. Up to 10 years in prison. Thus regardless of whether or not you were the at-fault party in a pedestrian accident it is always better to stay and render aid and contact the proper authorities than to.
Obviously dont just pretend it didnt happen and hope no one notices as you drive away. If you hit someone the consequences can be anything from paying a fine facing criminal charges to even losing your license. It is an offence for a driver not to be in full control of a vehicle but there is no public interest in pursuing you for something relatively minor that you readily admit and are offering to make amends for.
If you can do so safely put your emergency blinkers on and investigate the accident. Frantically trying to rub a scratch off wont work either. There are a few more states where killing someone accidentally with your car will only get you into serious trouble if you are found driving under the influence.