What to After You’ve Been Arrested for a Hit and Run

You were scared or confused and failed to stop after an accident in Indiana. Now you’ve been arrested for hit and run, and you have no idea how to move forward. Here are five tips for what you can do now to start making life better.

Hire an attorney. It’s urgent that you speak with an experienced criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible after your arrest. An attorney experienced in hit-and-run defenses can help protect your rights while guiding you through the process.

Remain silent. After your arrest, you may answer the police’s questions about your identity, but if they ask you questions about the incident, exercise your 5th amendment right to remain silent. Even a simple statement such as: “I’m sorry,” or “I didn’t mean to” can cause irreparable damage to your case. Never speak to the police without your lawyer present.

Be honest. When speaking with your attorney, be completely honest about what happened. Even though hit and run is a serious crime under Indiana law, there are potential defenses. Your lawyers can’t help you unless they have a complete account of all the facts. Remember that under the attorney-client privilege, they cannot share this information with anyone else.

Avoid the media. If your arrest has received attention in the press or on social media, for your own mental health, don’t search for stories about yourself. It serves no purpose and can hurt your case if you start responding to comments. The prosecution and police will likely be monitoring your social media accounts to find evidence against you, so avoid all forms of media altogether.

Accept the situation. You might be beating yourself up for failing to stop or feeling guilty about the consequences of your actions. But you can’t change things by dwelling on the past. You need to accept what happened and understand that life will be different for a while. Only after you’ve made peace with the situation can you truly start moving forward.