A hit and run in Fresno, CA is a criminal offense under California Vehicle Code sections 20001 and 20002, with consequences ranging from a $1,000 fine for a property-only incident up to four years in state prison when someone is seriously injured or killed. Fresno Police, the California Highway Patrol, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office all investigate and prosecute these cases, and the driver’s duties, the charges available to prosecutors, and the deadlines that apply all shift depending on what happened in the collision.
What the Law Requires at the Scene
For any collision involving only property damage, you must pull over at the nearest safe spot, locate the other driver or property owner, and share your name, address, vehicle registration number, and your driver’s license if asked. If you hit a parked car and cannot find the owner, leave a written note in a visible place with your contact information and a description of what happened, then notify the local police or CHP without unnecessary delay.1California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – Section 20002
When someone is injured, your duties expand. You must stop immediately, give the same identifying information, provide the names and addresses of injured occupants in your own vehicle, and arrange transportation to a hospital or doctor for anyone who clearly needs medical attention or asks for it.2California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 20003 If someone dies and no officer is on scene, report the accident to the nearest CHP office or local police station right away.3California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – Section 20004
On top of the police report, you must file an SR-1 with the California DMV within 10 days if anyone was injured, anyone died, or property damage exceeds $1,000.4California Department of Motor Vehicles. Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (SR-1) Many drivers overlook this one entirely.
Misdemeanor or Felony
Whether a hit and run is charged as a misdemeanor or a felony depends on whether anyone was physically hurt. A property-damage-only incident is always a misdemeanor under Vehicle Code 20002.1California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – Section 20002 Scraping a parked car, clipping a fence, or sideswiping an empty vehicle all fit here.
When any person is injured, the charge shifts to Vehicle Code 20001, which is a “wobbler.” Prosecutors can file it as either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on how serious the injuries are, the circumstances of the crash, and the driver’s record.5California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – Section 20001 A minor injury with a cooperative defendant and a clean history might be charged as a misdemeanor. A crash that breaks someone’s spine will almost always be filed as a felony.
A separate, elevated tier applies when the collision causes death or a permanent, serious injury. The statute defines that as the loss or permanent impairment of the function of a body part or organ.5California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – Section 20001
Penalties for a Conviction
Property Damage Only
A misdemeanor conviction under Vehicle Code 20002 carries up to six months in the Fresno County Jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.1California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – Section 20002 California adds penalty assessments, surcharges, and court fees on top of the base fine, so the final financial hit runs well above the statutory number.
Injury
When someone is injured but the injuries are not permanent or fatal, Vehicle Code 20001(b)(1) authorizes state prison, up to one year in county jail, a fine between $1,000 and $10,000, or both jail and a fine.5California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – Section 20001 Courts frequently add formal probation, and restitution to the victim for medical bills and property repair is almost always ordered on top of any fine.
Death or Permanent Serious Injury
If the collision causes death or permanent serious injury, the penalty rises to two, three, or four years in state prison, or a county jail term of 90 days to one year, plus a fine between $1,000 and $10,000.5California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – Section 20001 A judge may reduce or eliminate the 90-day minimum by stating reasons on the record, but that exception is granted sparingly.
Fleeing After a DUI Fatality
The harshest enhancement applies when a driver flees after committing vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated or gross vehicular manslaughter. The court adds five years in state prison on top of whatever sentence the underlying manslaughter charge carries, served consecutively.5California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – Section 20001 The judge cannot strike this enhancement once the allegation is proven.
DMV License Consequences
The DMV imposes its own sanctions regardless of what the criminal court does. Any hit and run conviction adds two points to your driving record,6California Department of Motor Vehicles. Negligence and accumulating too many points can trigger license suspension through the Negligent Operator Treatment System.
If the collision involved injury or death and you are convicted under Vehicle Code 20001, the DMV must revoke your license. Reinstatement is not available until at least one year after the revocation date, and you must file proof of financial responsibility (an SR-22) before getting the license back.7California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – Section 13350
Deadlines for Charges and Lawsuits
Prosecutors have one year to file a misdemeanor property-damage hit and run. When the collision caused non-permanent injuries, the deadline is three years. For cases involving death or permanent serious injury, the limit extends to six years, with charges allowed either within the standard window or within one year of when the suspect is first identified, whichever comes later, but never more than six years after the collision.
On the civil side, a victim has two years from the date of the accident to sue for personal injury8California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 335.1 and three years to sue for property damage.9California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 338 Missing these deadlines almost always ends the right to recover, no matter how strong the case is.
If You Are the Victim
When the other driver is never found, your own policy is the main path to recovery. California requires every auto insurer to offer uninsured motorist coverage, which can step in when the at-fault driver is unidentified. For hit and run claims, two conditions apply: there must have been physical contact between your vehicle and the unidentified vehicle, and you must report the accident to police within 24 hours and file a sworn statement with your insurer within 30 days.10California Legislative Information. California Code Insurance Code INS 11580.2
The physical contact requirement catches many victims off guard. If another vehicle swerves into your lane, forces you into a guardrail, and drives off without ever touching your car, most policies will not cover the loss under uninsured motorist provisions. That is one reason to report immediately even when the other driver is long gone.
If the driver is eventually identified, a civil lawsuit can recover medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and property repair costs. Victims of hit and run may also apply to the California Victim Compensation Board for reimbursement of medical treatment, mental health counseling, and lost income. Applicants must cooperate with law enforcement and file within seven years of the crime.11California Victim Compensation Board. Who Is Eligible CalVCB often matters most when the driver is never found and insurance falls short.
A driver who is convicted should expect insurance rates to climb sharply, and some carriers will decline to renew the policy at all.
How to Report a Hit and Run in Fresno
For property-damage-only incidents within city limits with no suspect identified, the Fresno Police Department accepts reports through its online reporting system.12City of Fresno. Police Online Reporting System The online system does not accept reports involving injuries or collisions on a state freeway.
For crashes involving injuries, report to the Fresno Police Department by phone or in person at one of its district offices.13City of Fresno. Police Contacts If the collision happened on a state highway or in unincorporated Fresno County, the California Highway Patrol handles the investigation.
Whichever agency takes the report, you will get a case number. Keep it. You need it to file insurance claims, follow up on the investigation, and tie any future civil lawsuit back to the documented incident. Report quickly, because officers often have a narrow window to pull surveillance footage from nearby businesses and locate witnesses before evidence disappears.