Santa Rosa Hit and Run Injures Skateboarder (CA Vehicle Code 20001)

A man from Gulf Breeze, Florida (20) was apparently hit by a car that then drove off in an early morning hit and run incident in Santa Rosa near El Encanto Drive and St. Francis Road. Although the vehicle involved has yet to be identified, witnesses claim that it was a dark blue or black sedan of some sort. The skateboarder was taken to a local hospital with a severe head injury, but is expected to fully recover.

According to California’s Vehicle Code 20001, a hit and run may be considered a felony if either death or serious injury occur as a result of the incident. Any time that an individual person chooses to leave the scene of such an accident without identifying him or herself or stopping to determine whether or not injury or death has been a result may be accused of a California hit and run. If there were no injury or death involved, this crime would normally be considered a misdemeanor. However, when someone else is hurt in the accident, it becomes a felony.

Technically, however, a violation of this particular law is a ‘wobbler,’ meaning that prosecutors assigned to the case are left to determine whether or not they will treat it as a misdemeanor or as a felony. This normally depends upon the specific facts of the case and the seriousness of the injuries sustained by any victims. A misdemeanor hit and run conviction could mean a fine of up to $10,000 and 1 year in county jail. However, if a person is convicted of a felony hit and run, they may spend up to 4 years in state prison and be subject to the same fine.