Advocacy & Safety - Hit & Runs

I have just read that hit and run isn't a felony in Kentucky, why is this?http://www.deadlyroads.com/laws/kentucky-hit-and-run-laws.shtml



I have also heard that hit and run isn't a crime in Mexico, very strange.

Any person who violates subsection (1) of KRS 189.580 shall be fined not less than twenty dollars ($20) nor more than two thousand dollars ($2,000) or imprisoned in the county jail for not more than one (1) year, or both.

Sounds like a felony to me.

Sounds like a felony to me.
How so? The law you quoted sounds like it's referring to a misdemeanor, not a felony.

i heard that only hit and run WITH personal injury is a felony, but i don't know ,i think it depends on the state

I think the requirement for personal injury is pretty common.

The cited law is old. Here's what it says now:

Any person who violates subsection (1)(a) of KRS 189.580 shall be fined not less than twenty dollars ($20) nor more than two thousand dollars ($2,000) or imprisoned in the county jail for not more than one (1) year, or both, unless the accident involved death or serious physical injury and the person knew or should have known of the death or serious physical injury, in which case the person shall be guilty of a Class D felony.

How so? The law you quoted sounds like it's referring to a misdemeanor, not a felony.

"The Federal government defines a felony as a crime which involves a potential punishment of one year or longer in prison." - Title 18 of the United States Code

"The Federal government defines a felony as a crime which involves a potential punishment of one year or longer in prison." - Title 18 of the United States Code

This is the general definition of a felony in all states.

"The Federal government defines a felony as a crime which involves a potential punishment of one year or longer in prison." - Title 18 of the United States Code
Yes, which doesn't apply in this case. County jail isn't the same thing as prison.

Many misdemeanors carry a maximum sentence of one year in county jail, although the typical penalty actually applied is a lot less. A felony would involve a sentence to state prison, not county jail, and would carry a maximum penalty of a year or more.

I would be willing to think that most bike accidents are of the hit and run variety. The driver knows that if the rider is seriously hurt, then he can get away. Nobody would know.