A hit and run in Little Rock is a criminal offense under Arkansas law, and the penalties climb fast. Leave the scene of a crash that caused serious injury or death and you’re looking at a Class B felony punishable by five to twenty years in prison.1Justia Law. Arkansas Code 27-53-101 – Requirements in Accidents Involving Death or Personal Injuries Even a property-damage-only incident can mean up to a year in jail once the damage crosses $1,000. What follows walks through what the law requires at the scene, how charges and sentences break down, and what to do if you’re the one who was hit.
What the Law Requires at the Scene
If you’re in any Arkansas collision that injures someone, damages another person’s vehicle, or kills someone, you must stop immediately at the scene or as close as you can safely get.1Justia Law. Arkansas Code 27-53-101 – Requirements in Accidents Involving Death or Personal Injuries The duty applies on highways, in parking lots, and on private property.2Justia Law. Arkansas Code 27-53-102 – Accidents Involving Damage Only to Vehicle or Personal Property of Another Person – Removal of Vehicle
Once stopped, you have to give your name, address, and vehicle registration number to the other driver or anyone involved, and show your license if asked. If someone is hurt, you must provide reasonable help, including arranging transportation to a hospital when the person obviously needs it or asks for it.3Justia Law. Arkansas Code 27-53-103 – Duty to Give Information, Remain at the Scene of an Accident, and Render Aid
Hit a parked car with no one around? You still have to stop. Either find the owner or leave a written note somewhere visible on the vehicle you struck, with your name, address, contact information, and a description of what happened.4FindLaw. Arkansas Code 27-53-104 – Duty Upon Striking Unattended Vehicle or Other Property Driving off counts as leaving the scene even when the damage looks like nothing.
These duties apply regardless of who caused the crash. Skipping any of them is what turns a routine accident into a criminal charge.
How the Charges Break Down
Arkansas sorts hit-and-run offenses by what the crash caused, and the tiers are more granular than a simple misdemeanor-versus-felony split.
Property Damage Only
- Under $1,000 in damage: Class B misdemeanor.
- $1,000 to $9,999 in damage: Class A misdemeanor.
- $10,000 or more in damage: Class D felony.2Justia Law. Arkansas Code 27-53-102 – Accidents Involving Damage Only to Vehicle or Personal Property of Another Person – Removal of Vehicle
A property-damage hit and run can be a felony even when nobody was physically hurt, as long as the damage is severe enough.
Injury or Death
- Physical injury (pain, bruising, impairment of physical condition): Class D felony.
- Serious physical injury or death (risk of death, protracted disfigurement, loss of organ function): Class B felony, if the driver knowingly or recklessly left the scene.1Justia Law. Arkansas Code 27-53-101 – Requirements in Accidents Involving Death or Personal Injuries
“Physical injury” is defined broadly enough to cover substantial pain or visible bruising, so an injury that never saw a hospital can still push a case into felony territory.
Jail, Prison, and Fines
Each offense class carries its own ceiling on time and money:
- Class B misdemeanor: up to 90 days in jail and a fine up to $1,000.5Justia Law. Arkansas Code 5-4-401 – Sentence6Justia Law. Arkansas Code 5-4-201 – Fines – Limitations on Amount
- Class A misdemeanor: up to one year in jail and a fine up to $2,500.5Justia Law. Arkansas Code 5-4-401 – Sentence6Justia Law. Arkansas Code 5-4-201 – Fines – Limitations on Amount
- Class D felony: up to six years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.5Justia Law. Arkansas Code 5-4-401 – Sentence6Justia Law. Arkansas Code 5-4-201 – Fines – Limitations on Amount
- Class B felony: five to twenty years in prison and a fine up to $15,000.5Justia Law. Arkansas Code 5-4-401 – Sentence6Justia Law. Arkansas Code 5-4-201 – Fines – Limitations on Amount
Courts can also order restitution on top of the fine, meaning you could end up paying for vehicle repairs, medical bills, and lost wages in addition to the criminal penalty.
Automatic License Revocation
A conviction under the injury-or-death statute triggers mandatory license revocation. The law directs the Secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration to revoke the license of anyone convicted of leaving the scene of an accident involving physical injury, serious physical injury, or death.1Justia Law. Arkansas Code 27-53-101 – Requirements in Accidents Involving Death or Personal Injuries The statute says “shall,” so there’s no discretion. Conviction, revocation.
The State Accident Report Most Drivers Forget
Separately from any police report, Arkansas requires you to file an accident report with the Department of Finance and Administration within 30 days of any crash involving bodily injury, death, or property damage over $1,000.7Arkansas.gov. Accident Report SR 1-21 That’s the SR-1-21 form. It’s a state requirement independent of what the police do, and missing it can create problems with your insurance and driving record.
If You’re the Victim: Reporting in Little Rock
The first few minutes matter. Before anything else, try to note the fleeing vehicle’s make, model, color, and license plate. Photograph your damage, any debris at the scene, skid marks, and paint transfer. Get names and phone numbers from anyone who saw what happened.
If anyone is hurt or there’s an ongoing threat, call 911. For a property-damage-only hit and run with no injuries, contact the Little Rock Police Department’s Telephone Reporting Unit at (501) 918-4397 to file a non-emergency report.8City of Little Rock. Reports The police report becomes the foundation for both the criminal investigation and any insurance claim.
Getting Paid When the Other Driver Is Gone
When the other driver vanishes, your own policy is usually the only path to covering repairs and medical bills. Two coverages carry the weight:
- Collision coverage pays for damage to your vehicle regardless of fault, including hit-and-run damage. You owe your deductible, but you don’t have to identify the other driver to collect.
- Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage pays for injuries and, depending on the policy, property damage caused by a driver who has no insurance or can’t be identified. Some policies require proof the other vehicle physically contacted yours, which can be a problem when a driver runs you off the road without touching your car.
If you carry both, collision is often the simpler route for vehicle repairs because it doesn’t depend on identifying the at-fault driver. UM matters more for medical bills and lost wages that collision won’t touch. Check your declarations page or call your insurer, because Arkansas does not require collision coverage, and plenty of drivers don’t carry it.
Arkansas also runs a Crime Victims Reparations Board that can help when insurance falls short. The program covers medical care, counseling, lost wages, and funeral expenses, with awards up to $10,000, or up to $25,000 for catastrophic injuries. Hit-and-run injuries are a qualifying crime, and applications are available through the Reparations office or any of the state’s 28 elected prosecutors.9Arkansas.gov. Crime Victims Reparations Board
Commercial Drivers Face Extra Consequences
If you hold a CDL, a hit and run brings federal consequences on top of state ones. Under FMCSA regulations, a CDL holder involved in a crash that results in death, bodily injury requiring off-site medical treatment, or disabling vehicle damage has to submit to a drug test within 32 hours and an alcohol test within 8 hours. Fleeing doesn’t erase the obligation. If the driver is later identified, the employer has to document why timely testing didn’t happen. A hit-and-run conviction can also disqualify a commercial driver from operating a CMV, which can end a trucking career.