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Gov. signs bill toughening penalty for hit-and-run drivers
Colorado State Capitol
DENVER — Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill into law Wednesday that stiffens the penalty for drivers in hit-and-run crashes that cause serious injury.
The bill, Sponsored by state Rep. Kathleen Conti, closes a loophole in the law that allowed drivers who fled the scene of an accident to face a lesser penalty than if they had stayed and helped.
“With the signing of this bill, we are removing the judicial incentive to flee the scene of an accident,” Conti, R-Littleton, said.
The new law makes a hit-and-run resulting in serious injury a Class 4 felony, which carries the same weight as driving under the influence of alcohol.
