Recently, the Ohio House of Representatives passed “Brandon’s Law” or House Bill 110 which seeks to increase the penalties if someone fails to stop after causing an accident. The bill is moving through the Ohio Senate next.

The current law makes it a fifth degree felony if a driver fails to stop “after an accident that results in serious physical harm to a person” and a third degree felony for “failing to stop after an accident that results in death.”   See Ohio Revised Code §4549.021.

“Brandon’s Law” would raise the penalties for both to a second degree felony. (Which is a punishment between two to eight years in prison.)

“Brandon’s Law” is named for Brandon Pethtel, a fifteen-year-old boy who was fatally struck by a driver who subsequently fled the accident scene. The driver was apprehended the next day, but did not receive a maximum penalty because he was not charged at the scene.

By: Sunni S. DiNicola, Associate Attorney with Lardiere McNair, LLC. To read more about Sunni, please visit http://www.lmcounsel.com/sunnis-bio.html.

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