Driving under the influence can carry significant criminal penalties in New York. For some, those penalties can have a life-altering impact. Drivers with a history of DUI convictions could be facing felony charges and a year behind bars in state prison. With so much at stake, it is not uncommon for an intoxicated driver to risk leaving the scene of an accident rather than stick around and face arrest for DUI.
Unfortunately for those drivers, leaving the scene of an accident could also result in hit and run charges. If caught, that driver could be facing dual charges of DUI as well as hit and run. Together, these charges result in far more significant penalties.