It's hard to get into the mind of a driver who flees an accident scene and fails to follow some of the most basic rules of the road. Experience tells us, however, that many hit-and-run drivers leave the scene because: They worry about financial or criminal consequences and hope to escape them, such as if they're driving without a license or insurance, or in a stolen car, or they know their dangerous behavior caused the crash They’re driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol; and/or They do not realize they hit anything or think they hit an animal However, whatever their reasons, hit-and-run drivers face potentially serious consequences for their actions. The obligation to stop at the scene after a crash is more or less absolute, and failing to stop is virtually always illegal.