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Charged with Hit and Run in Murrieta? The Clock Is Running.

California treats hit and run as a separate criminal offense from whatever else happened in the accident. Even if you weren't at fault for the collision, leaving the scene without stopping and exchanging information — or rendering aid when injury is involved — is a crime. The severity depends on whether anyone was injured, but both the misdemeanor and felony versions carry consequences that accumulate quickly. At the Law Office of Nic Cocis, we defend hit and run charges in Murrieta and Southwest Riverside County, and we know how these investigations are built.

California’s Hit and Run Laws

Property Damage vs. Injury: Two Different Charges

Vehicle Code § 20002 — property damage hit and run.

When an accident involves only property damage and no injury, the driver is required by law to stop, locate the owner of the damaged property, and exchange identifying information. Leaving without doing so is a misdemeanor carrying up to six months in county jail and a $1,000 fine. If the owner can’t be located, the driver is required to leave a note with their contact information and report the accident to law enforcement.

Vehicle Code § 20001 — injury hit and run.

When an accident results in injury or death to any person, the driver must stop immediately, render reasonable assistance, and provide identifying information. Leaving the scene is a felony carrying two, three, or four years in state prison. If the accident resulted in permanent, serious injury, the range increases to three, five, or seven years. A death triggers the upper end of the felony range.

The felony version doesn’t require that the driver caused the accident.

It requires only that they were involved in the accident and left without fulfilling their legal obligations. A driver who was rear-ended and then fled to avoid dealing with the situation can be charged under § 20001 if the other driver was injured — regardless of who was at fault.

How These Cases Are Investigated

Hit and run cases are built through surveillance footage, witness accounts, license plate readers, and sometimes vehicle paint and debris analysis. Modern intersection cameras and private business cameras cover more ground than most people realize. Investigators often identify a suspect within days of a reported hit and run. By the time a suspect is contacted, investigators frequently have substantial evidence already assembled.

This is why early retention of counsel matters in hit and run cases — and why what you say when first contacted by investigators can significantly affect the outcome.

How We Can Help

The defense in a hit and run case involves both the underlying accident and the departure. In some cases, the driver didn't realize an accident had occurred — a legitimate defense under Vehicle Code § 20002 and § 20001, both of which require knowledge of the accident. In others, the driver knew but panicked. In others still, the identification is contested — the license plate, the vehicle description, or the surveillance footage doesn't unambiguously establish who was driving.

Challenging identification through surveillance footage, witness accounts, and license plate evidence
Raising lack of knowledge of the accident as a defense
Addressing the injury element in § 20001 cases
Advising on voluntary disclosure and its effect on prosecution
Pursuing civil compromise or restitution-based resolution in property damage cases
Coordinating the defense with any concurrent DUI investigation arising from the same incident

What to Expect When You Work with Us

01

Immediate Assessment

Hit and run investigations move quickly. We assess what evidence exists, what investigators have, and whether voluntary contact — properly structured — might affect the prosecution's approach.

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02

Evidence Review

Surveillance footage, witness identifications, and physical evidence from the scene are all examined. Misidentifications in hit and run cases are more common than in direct-witness crimes.

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03

Negotiation and Disposition

Property damage hit and run cases frequently resolve through restitution and civil compromise, particularly for first-time offenders. Injury cases require more aggressive defense, but charge reduction is achievable in appropriate cases.

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Why Choose the Law Office of Nic Cocis?

Concurrent Investigation Experience

Handles hit and run cases that arise alongside DUI investigations

25+ Years of Misdemeanor and Felony Defense

Full spectrum from property damage to serious injury cases

Southwest Justice Center Familiarity

Knows how these cases are prosecuted locally

Multilingual Services

English, Romanian, and Spanish available

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Both Vehicle Code § 20001 and § 20002 require knowledge that an accident occurred. If you genuinely didn't know contact was made — a minor scrape in a parking lot, a collision you didn't feel at highway speed — the knowledge element isn't satisfied. This defense is fact-specific and requires that the circumstances actually support a lack of awareness. A low-speed parking lot scrape that you might reasonably have missed is different from a significant collision where airbags deployed. We assess the facts honestly.

This is a situation where you should not act without speaking to an attorney first. Voluntary disclosure after the fact can sometimes affect how a case is prosecuted, but it can also provide admissions that become the primary evidence against you. How and whether to approach investigators or the other party depends on what evidence already exists, what the exposure is, and what the realistic range of outcomes looks like with and without disclosure. That analysis requires counsel before any contact is made.

Yes, and frequently is. A DUI arrest following a hit and run accident often results in both charges being filed. The two charges are prosecuted together but are legally separate — each requires its own elements to be proven. The hit and run charge doesn't depend on the DUI conviction, and vice versa. We address both charges simultaneously and ensure the defense strategy for each is consistent.

Facing a Hit and Run Charge in Murrieta?

Contact the Law Office of Nic Cocis before taking any action. We serve clients in Murrieta, Temecula, Menifee, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Winchester, Canyon Lake, French Valley, and throughout Southwest Riverside County.

  • Murrieta

  • Menifee

  • Wildomar

  • Canyon Lake

  • Temecula

  • Lake Elsinore

  • Winchester

  • French Valley

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