LA votes to increase punishments for hit-and-runs

On Tuesday, Sept. 17, the Los Angeles City Council voted to support legislation which extends the statute of limitations for hit-and-run offenders.

The time limit to prosecute is one year after the offense has been committed. But AB 184 will allow charges to be brought 3 years after the offense, or 1 year after the person was initially identified as a suspect.

The most recent statistics - released in 2009 - show that in Los Angeles, 48% of collisions were classified as hit-and-runs – well above the national average. Furthermore, the Los Angeles Police Department alone records about 20,000 hit-and-run crashes every year.