Vehicle accidents: fleeing the scene of an accident.

Existing law requires the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than himself or herself, or in the death of a person to immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident and provide specified personal information to the injured person or the occupants of the other vehicle and to any traffic or police officer at the scene of the accident. A violation of these provisions is a crime. Existing law specifies that if an accident results in death or permanent, serious injury, a person who violates the provisions described above shall be punished by imprisonment in a state prison for two, three, or four years, or in a county jail for not less than 90 days nor more than one year, or by a fine, as specified, or both. Existing law authorizes the court, in the interests of justice and for other reasons stated in the record, to reduce or eliminate the minimum imprisonment or fine requirements. This bill would increase the terms for imprisonment in a state prison to two, four, or six years.