Westport Evading Responsibility Arrest Process

Under Westport law, only one vehicle needs to be present for an evading responsibility charge or a hit and run offense to occur. If an individual hits someone else’s property, like their stone wall or fence, and the individual drives away, it is evading responsibility. It can be critical for someone interested in learning more about the Westport evading responsibility arrest process to speak with an established hit and run attorney right away. A lawyer could help them prepare a defense following a hit and run offense. 

What is Evading Responsibility in Westport?

Westport law defines evading responsibility as a person operating a motor vehicle that is knowingly involved in an accident and does not stop immediately to render any assistance that might be needed. They do not give their name, address, license, and registration information to the other person involved in the accident or a police officer.

A hit and run does not differentiate from an evading responsibility offense in Westport. It is just a different name for an evading responsibility offense in Westport. It describes what would happen if a person were to get an evading responsibility charge. 

Defining Elements of a Hit and Run Offense

In Westport, some common examples of single-vehicle accident collisions that may result in an evading responsibility charge are hitting someone else’s stone wall or fence, hitting a telephone pole, or running over someone’s lawn. The key elements an offense leading to the Westport evading responsibility arrest process involves one driver refusing to share collision information to the driver or the police. It becomes a question of did the person do that or not.

Understanding the Hit and Run Arrest Process

The Westport evading responsibility arrest process could take two different forms. A lot of people do not realize they are arrested with the first form. That is when they charge an individual with evading responsibility and they give the individual a summons to court.

The individual goes to court date and has to deal with a criminal case. The second way is if the police show up on the scene and charge an individual with evading responsibility. They take the individual into custody, bring the individual to the station, and book them through the booking process.

Understanding the Evading Responsibility Court Process

In Westport, in all circumstances, the owner of a vehicle would be arrested for evading responsibility, even if they may not have been driving during the accident. If a person’s car is involved in a hit and run and there is a charge of evading responsibility, the default assumption is that the registered owner of the car was driving the car. That is something that an individual would be able to disprove in court, but if the driver gets away and they are not able to identify the person, the owner would be arrested. A person facing an evading responsibility charge should seek legal counsel as soon as possible in Westport.