After a Crash
Ala. Code § 32-10-1 — stop, give a name and render aid; leaving a crash with an injury is a felony
A driver in a crash that injures or kills anyone, or damages a vehicle driven or attended by anyone, stops at once at the scene or as close as possible, and stays or returns there until the duties to give information and render aid are done.
Who handles this in Alabama: Alabama State Bar Lawyer Referral Service; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Alabama directory.
When there is no apparent injury or death and the driver is not impaired, the driver may move a drivable vehicle off the roadway to the shoulder, an emergency lane, the median or another place close by, and stay as close to the scene as is safely possible. A vehicle in a crash with an injury or death is not moved until an officer directs it.
- The driver gives a name, an address and the registration number of the vehicle, and on request shows a driver's license to the person struck or the driver or occupant of the other vehicle.
- The driver gives anyone injured reasonable assistance, including taking or arranging to take them to a physician or hospital, when treatment is plainly needed or the injured person asks.
Hitting an unattended vehicle, the driver stops at once and either finds the owner or operator and gives them the driver's and owner's names and addresses, or leaves a written note in a conspicuous place on the vehicle with those names and addresses and what happened. Damaging only fixtures on or beside a highway, the driver takes reasonable steps to find and notify the owner.
| Failing these duties, in a crash with | Grade |
|---|---|
| Failing these duties, in a crash withDamage to property only | GradeClass A misdemeanor |
| Failing these duties, in a crash withPhysical injury | GradeClass C felony |
| Failing these duties, in a crash withSerious physical injury or death | GradeClass B felony |
The driver in a crash that injures or kills anyone notifies the police at once by the quickest means: the city police inside a city, otherwise the sheriff or the state highway patrol.
The license of anyone convicted of not stopping is revoked. An officer who investigates a crash forwards the report within 24 hours after finishing the investigation, and a person involved in the crash is one of the people who can get it.
Sources for this section (7)
- Ala. Code § 32-10-1 — Duties of Driver Involved in Motor Vehicle Accident; Removal of Vehicle from Roadway
- Ala. Code § 32-10-2 — Duty to Give Information and Render Aid
- Ala. Code § 32-10-3 — Duty Upon Striking Unattended Vehicle
- Ala. Code § 32-10-6 — Penalty for Violation of Sections 32-10-1 through 32-10-5; Restitution
- Ala. Code § 32-10-4 — Duty Upon Striking Fixtures Upon a Highway
- Ala. Code § 32-10-5 — Immediate Reports of Accidents
- Ala. Code § 32-10-7 — Written Reports of Accidents; Release of Information
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Alabama attorney.