AB 2984: Fleeing the scene of an accident.

Existing law requires the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than that driver, or in the death of a person to immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident and provide specified personal information to the injured person or the occupants of the other vehicle and to any traffic or police officer at the scene of the accident. Under existing law, if a vehicle accident results in permanent, serious injury or death, a person who violates the requirement to stop is subject to punishment by imprisonment in the state prison for 2, 3, or 4 years, or in a county jail for not less than 90 days nor more than one year, or by a specified fine, or both the imprisonment and fine.

Existing law prescribes the time after the commission of a crime in which a criminal action is required to be commenced, referred to as a statute of limitation. If a person flees the scene of an accident that caused death or permanent, serious injury, existing law prohibits a criminal complaint from being filed after 6 years after the commission of the offense, as specified.

If a person is out of the state for the purpose of evading prosecution after committing this crime, this bill would allow the statute of limitations to be tolled for up to 3 years during any time the person is out of the state.