This year, more people from Dayton have been injured in an automotive-related crash than in 2018, and unfortunately, hit-and-run crashes have become an easy way for the perpetrators to slip away from trouble. Research shows that more people are taking advantage of this.

The Dayton area has had a bad history of hit-and-run crashes, and according to the Dayton Daily News, the number of hit-and-runs have increased by 66% between 2014 and 2018. This has greatly outpaced the Montgomery County and the rest of the state.

According to the AAA Foundation, a hit-and-run crash is when at least one individual who was involved in an automobile accident runs from the scene without reporting the accident or aiding the victims.

Kara Hitchens, a spokeswoman for AAA Miami Valley, states “If you live in a high-risk area, your rates could be higher. So for hit-and-run crashes to become commonplace, everyone pays.”

In the last four years, Dayton has seen an increase of 547 more hit/skip crashes just last year than in 2014, with a total of 825 hit-and-runs during that year. (Dayton Daily News)

According to Columbus law firm, Riddell Law, fleeing the scene of an automobile crash or failing to stop and check on the other victims after a collision is typically a first-degree misdemeanor, with penalties of up to six months in jail, fines, and a minimum 6-month license suspension.

Drivers who crash into or damage parked cars, even if they believe there was no damage done, are required by Ohio to give information or leave a note on the vehicle if the vehicle is unattended, the firm said.