Nevada Revised Statute 484E.010 makes it a category B felony to leave the scene of a car accident that caused bodily injury or death. Penalties for hit and run with injury or death include two to 20 years in prison and $2,000 to $5,000 in fines.
NRS 484E.010. 1. The driver of any vehicle involved in a crash on a highway or on premises to which the public has access resulting in bodily injury to or the death of a person shall immediately stop his or her vehicle at the scene of the crash or as close thereto as possible, and shall forthwith return to and in every event shall remain at the scene of the crash until the driver has fulfilled the requirements of NRS 484E.030.
2. Every such stop must be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary.
3. A person failing to comply with the provisions of subsection 1 is guilty of a category B felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for a minimum term of not less than 2 years and a maximum term of not more than 20 years and by a fine of not less than $2,000 nor more than $5,000. A person failing to comply with the provisions of subsection 1 commits a separate offense under this section for the bodily injury to or the death of each person that results from a crash with regard to which the person failed to comply with the provisions of subsection 1.
4. A sentence imposed pursuant to subsection 3 may not be suspended nor may probation be granted.
Legal Analysis
NRS 484E.010 requires Nevada drivers to remain at the scene of an automobile collision that resulted in at least one person sustaining physical injury or being killed. Drivers are also required to render aid, such as calling 911 and carrying victims away from danger.
People convicted of hit and run following an accident which caused injury or a fatality is a category B felony. The sentence is:
- 2 to 20 years in Nevada State Prison, and
- $2,000 to $5,000 in fines1
Note that the judge may not grant probation or a suspended sentence in lieu of prison. And people face a separate felony charge for each person who was injured or killed in the accident.1
The prison sentence for violating NRS 484E.010 is not probationable.
See our related articles, 10 Critical Steps to Take After a Nevada Car Accident, NRS 484E.020 | Hit and Run with Property Damage, NRS 484E.030 | Hit and Run without Exchanging Information, and NRS 484E.040 | Hit and Run with Unattended Property.
Legal References
- NRS 484E.010 – Duty to stop at scene of crash involving death or personal injury; penalty. See also: Horton v. Fritz, (1997) 113 Nev. 824, 942 P.2d 134, 113 Nev. Adv. Rep. 91; Firestone v. State, (2004) 120 Nev. 13, 83 P.3d 279, 120 Nev. Adv. Rep. 3.
The full text of the statute reads as follows: