TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – February is Hit-and-Run Awareness Month in Florida, and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) and its division of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) are leading the state’s “Stay at the Scene” campaign to prevent these crashes, reduce fatalities and injuries, and bring justice to families impacted by these crimes.
FLHSMV’s data analysis paints a worrying trend in hit-and-run crashes in Florida. In 2021, the total number of hit-and-run crashes across the state increased by more than 17% compared to 2020.
In that same comparison, fatalities from hit-and-runs were up over 18%, and serious bodily injuries from hit-and-runs were up 20%.
| Hit-and-Run Crashes, SBI, Fatalities | |||
| Sum of Crashes | Sum of Serious Bodily Injuries | Sum of Fatalities | |
| 2015 | 94,575 | 1,298 | 197 |
| 2016 | 102,145 | 1,309 | 213 |
| 2017 | 102,929 | 1,223 | 212 |
| 2018 | 103,195 | 1,172 | 206 |
| 2019 | 105,893 | 1,111 | 217 |
| 2020 | 92,263 | 983 | 257 |
| 2021 | 108,155 | 1,176 | 304 |
Additionally, 169 of the hit-and-run fatalities in 2021 were pedestrians and 45 were bicyclists, totaling 70% of hit-and-run fatalities last year. By comparison, in 2020, 140 hit-and-run fatalities were pedestrians and 27 were bicyclists.
“Hit-and-run crashes and fatalities are tragically on the rise in our state – causing devastation to Florida’s families and communities,” said FLHSMV Executive Director, Terry L. Rhodes.
“Drivers who choose to flee after being involved in a crash that results in property damage, injury, or death are not just breaking the law – they are displaying a blatant disregard for the life and property of others. Please, stay at the scene and call for help – it could save a life.”
According to the Homicide Investigation Tracking System (HITS), there were 131 hit-and-run fatalities handled by FHP in 2021, up from 124 in 2020, of which 91 are still active.
These cases are ongoing with varying degrees of leads and forthcoming charges. Information about open hit-and-run cases can be found on FLHSMV’s Active Hit-and-Run Cases webpage.
“If you are involved in a traffic crash, it’s not only the right thing to do, but it’s your responsibility to remain at the scene and immediately contact law enforcement,” said Florida Highway Patrol Director, Colonel Gene Spaulding.
“With hit-and-run crashes on the rise, we need the public’s assistance in solving these cases and bringing justice to families who have lost a loved one, been injured, or had property damaged because someone left the scene in violation of Florida law.”
Even a small tip can help solve a hit-and-run case. If you have information on a hit-and-run crash, you can report it by calling *FHP (*347) or report it anonymously to Florida Crime Stoppers by calling **TIPS (**8477) or through the Florida Crime Stoppers smartphone phone app, available free in the Apple and Google Play stores.
Under Florida law, a driver must stop immediately at the scene of a crash on public or private property that results in property damage, injury, or death.
Leaving the scene of a crash is a felony and a driver, when convicted, will have their license revoked for at least three years and can be sentenced to a mandatory minimum of four years in prison.
For more information on the “Stay at the Scene” campaign, including data, downloadable materials, and additional resources, please visit FLHSMV’s Hit-and-Run Awareness webpage.
