What Should You Do Immediately After a Hit and Run?

Gather What You Can, Safely

If it is safe to do so, note as much as possible: vehicle color, make, model, partial license plate, and direction of travel. Do not pursue the fleeing vehicle, prioritize your own safety and call police immediately, chasing a fleeing driver risks a second, potentially worse, collision.

Even partial information helps. A description like “dark blue pickup truck, last three digits of the plate appeared to be 7-4-something, headed north” is far more useful to investigators than most people realize, even without a complete plate number.

File a Police Report Right Away

A prompt police report is critical in a hit-and-run case, both for a potential criminal investigation and to support any insurance claim you later file. Leaving the scene of an accident is a criminal offense in Arizona, and police involvement gives the incident a real chance of being investigated and the driver identified.

Even if officers cannot immediately locate the fleeing driver, the report creates an official, timestamped record of what happened, which matters enormously when you later file a claim under your own uninsured motorist coverage.

Look for Witnesses and Cameras

Nearby businesses, homes, or traffic intersections often have security or traffic cameras that may have captured the fleeing vehicle. Acting quickly matters, since footage can be overwritten or deleted within days, sometimes within just 24 to 72 hours depending on the system.

If you or anyone nearby has a dash cam, check the footage immediately, and if you notice a business with a visible camera pointed toward the road, it is worth returning (or having someone return) to ask about footage before it is lost.

Using Your Uninsured Motorist Coverage

If the at-fault driver is never identified, your own uninsured motorist coverage, if you have it, can often step in to cover your damages, since an unidentified driver is treated similarly to an uninsured one under most Arizona auto policies.

Your insurer may still want to see the official police report and evidence supporting that a hit-and-run genuinely occurred, since UM claims for unidentified drivers can sometimes be scrutinized more closely than a standard claim, this is another reason a prompt, well-documented police report matters.

What If the Driver Is Later Identified

If police do eventually identify the fleeing driver, whether through witness tips, camera footage, or vehicle debris left at the scene, your claim can shift from a UM claim to a standard claim against their insurance, assuming they have coverage.

This is one more reason not to rush a settlement immediately after a hit-and-run, if there is a realistic chance the driver could still be identified, that possibility is worth keeping open rather than closing out your claim prematurely.

Common Reasons Drivers Flee, and Why It Doesn’t Change Your Rights

Drivers flee hit-and-run accidents for various reasons, driving without insurance, an outstanding warrant, being intoxicated, or simple panic. None of these reasons change your legal right to compensation, they may explain the driver’s conduct, but they do not diminish your claim.

Steps to Take Immediately After a Hit and Run

1. Prioritize safety, move to a safe location if possible and check for injuries.
2. Call 911 to report the accident and request police response.
3. Note any vehicle details you observed, even partial information helps investigators.
4. Look for witnesses and nearby cameras before evidence disappears.
5. Seek medical attention, even for injuries that seem minor at first.
6. Contact your own insurer to begin the UM claims process if the driver is not identified.