After A Crash
MCL 257.619 — stop, stay, and hand over who you are
A driver who knows or has reason to believe they were in an accident, on public property or private property open to travel by the public, has to stop immediately at the scene and remain there until the duties in section 619 are done. The statute's one alternative is for a driver with a reasonable and honest belief that staying will result in further harm: that driver may instead immediately report the accident to the nearest or most convenient police agency or officer. The stop is to be made without obstructing traffic more than necessary.
Section 619 sets these duties for a driver in an accident with a person, or with a vehicle someone was driving or attending:
- Giving a name and address, the registration number of the vehicle, and the name and address of its owner, to a police officer, the person struck, or the driver or occupants of the other vehicle.
- Showing an operator's or chauffeur's license to any of them.
- Giving anyone injured reasonable assistance in securing medical aid, or arranging or providing transportation.
| What the accident caused | Leaving without meeting those duties |
|---|---|
| What the accident causedDamage to a vehicle someone was driving or attending | Leaving without meeting those dutiesA misdemeanor: up to 90 days, a fine up to $100, or both |
| What the accident causedInjury to anyone | Leaving without meeting those dutiesA misdemeanor: up to 1 year, a fine up to $1,000, or both, and a license suspension |
| What the accident causedSerious impairment of a body function, or death | Leaving without meeting those dutiesA felony: up to 5 years, a fine up to $5,000, or both |
| What the accident causedDeath, after an accident the driver caused | Leaving without meeting those dutiesA felony: up to 15 years, a fine up to $10,000, or both |
Hitting a parked or unattended vehicle carries the same duty to stop. The driver has to find and notify its operator or owner of the driver's name and address and the name and address of the owner of the striking vehicle, or, if the owner cannot be located, report it at once to the nearest or most convenient police officer. Damage only to fixtures legally on or beside a highway carries a duty to take reasonable steps to find and notify the owner, and to report it to police if the owner cannot be found.
Anyone hurt, or $1,000 in damage: a report to police. The driver of a motor vehicle in an accident that injures or kills anyone, or damages property to an apparent total of $1,000 or more, has to report it immediately at the nearest or most convenient police station, or to the nearest or most convenient police officer.
Who was at fault, and what insurance pays, are not what these sections decide, and are not covered on this page.
Sources for this section (7)
- MCL 257.617 — Leaving the scene of an accident causing serious impairment or death
- MCL 257.619 — Duties of a driver after an accident
- MCL 257.622 — Reporting an accident causing injury, death, or property damage
- MCL 257.618 — Leaving the scene of an accident damaging a vehicle
- MCL 257.617a — Leaving the scene of an accident causing injury
- MCL 257.620 — Striking an attended or unattended vehicle
- MCL 257.621 — Accidents damaging fixtures on or beside a highway
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Michigan attorney.