Hit and run of a parked vehicle in Colorado is a class 2 traffic misdemeanor. Under CRS 42-4-1701 (3)(a)(II)(A), the penalties include:
- 10 to 90 days in jail and/or
- fines of $150 to $300.
It does not matter whether the parked car is in a parking lot, on the street, or other location.
Obligations after a Hit and Run
Like it sounds, hit and run in Colorado is leaving the scene of the accident without first complying with the applicable laws. As discussed below, your obligations depend on whether someone is in the car or not.
Hitting an Unattended Vehicle
If you have a collision with an unoccupied car, you are required to do all of the following:
- Make an accident report with police officers in accordance with CRS 42-4-1606.
- Stop and either:
- Locate and notify the owner, or
- Leave a notice in a conspicuous place (such as the windshield) with your name, address, and vehicle registration number.
Hitting an Occupied Vehicle
If you have a collision with an occupied car, you are required to do all of the following:
- Report the accident to law enforcement in accordance with CRS 42-4-1606.
- Exchange names, addresses, and vehicle registration numbers.
- Remain at the scene unless you are badly injured and in need of attention.
- If someone is injured, render reasonable assistance. This may include taking the injured people to the hospital or calling 911.
- Move your car a short distance if it otherwise would obstruct traffic or cause a hazard.1
The punishment for leaving the scene of the accident grows harsher if there are injuries.
Penalties for Hit and Run
Colorado’s punishments for hit and run turn on whether the collision caused property damage, a non-serious injury, a serious injury, or a fatality, as the table below shows.
|
Type of Hit and Run Accident |
Sentence |
| Hitting an unattended vehicle | Class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense: 10 to 90 days in jail and/or $150 to $300 |
| Causing only property damage | Class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense: 10 to 90 days in jail and/or $150 to $300 |
| Causing bodily injury (physical pain, illness, or physical or mental impairment) | Class 1 traffic misdemeanor: 10 days to 1 year of jail time and/or $300 to $1,000 |
| Causing serious bodily injury (fractures, 2nd- or 3rd-degree burns, serious permanent disfigurement, loss of organ or body function, or a substantial risk of death) | Class 4 felony: 2 to 6 years in prison and/or $2,000 to $500,000 |
| Causing a fatality | Class 3 felony: 4 to 12 years in prison and/or $3,000 to $750,000 |
In addition, the DMV may suspend your driver’s license. The court may order that you pay restitution to any victims. Also, auto insurance companies may raise your premiums.2
Note that hit and run victims may bring a personal injury claim for medical bills and other damages against you. If the victim died from the motor vehicle collision, their family may bring a wrongful death claim.
You must make an accident report after hitting an unattended vehicle.
Statute of Limitations
Colorado’s statute of limitations to bring hit-and-run criminal charges turns on the case, as the following table shows.
|
Hit-and-Run Charge |
Statute of Limitations in Colorado |
| Fatal accident (class 3 felony) and vehicular homicide (CRS 18-3-1-6) together | 10 years after the accident |
| Fatal accident (class 3 felony) | 5 years after the accident |
| Accident causing serious injury (class 4 felony) | 3 years after the accident |
| Accident causing non-serious injury (class 1 traffic misdemeanor) | 1 year after the accident |
| Accident causing property damage (class 2 traffic misdemeanor) | 1 year after the accident |
| Hitting a parked vehicle (class 2 traffic misdemeanor) | 1 year after the accident |
Once the statute of limitations passes, the district attorney may no longer press criminal charges in a hit-and-run case.3
Leaving the scene after hitting a parked, unoccupied vehicle is a class 2 traffic misdemeanor in Colorado.
Additional Reading
For more in-depth information, refer to these scholarly articles:
- Theorizing hit-and-run: A study of driver decision-making processes after a road traffic collision – Criminology & Criminal Justice.
- Is a Hit-and-Wait Really Any Better than a Hit-and-Run – Hofstra Law Review.
- The Impact of Moral Panic on the Criminal Justice System: Hit-and-run Traffic Offenses as a Case Study – New Criminal Law Review.
- California v. Byers: Hit-and-Run Statutes and the Privilege against Self-Incrimination – Brooklyn Law Review.
- Hit the bottle and run: the role of alcohol in hit-and-run pedestrian fatalities – Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
Also see our related articles on DUI (drunk driving), reckless driving (CRS 42-4-1401), and Denver hit and run – What are the penalties?
Legal References
- Colorado Revised Statute 42-4-1601 – 1606; Annette Espinoza, Insurer says 69 percent of its hit and runs involve a parked car, Denver Post (May 6, 2016). See, for example, People v. Arzabala (Colo. App. 2012) 317 P.3d 1196; People v. Hernandez (Colo. 2011) . See also People v. Horton (Colo. App. 2024) No. 23CA2028.
- Same; CRS 18-1.3-401; CRS 42-4-1701.
- CRS 16-5-401.
