Quick answer: Leaving the scene of an accident in Rockville is a crime, even for a minor fender-bender. A property-damage hit and run under Md. Code, Transp. § 20-103 carries up to 2 months in jail and a $500 fine; if someone was injured the charge jumps to a misdemeanor with up to 1 year and a $3,000 fine, and a crash the driver knew or should have known caused serious injury or death is a felony carrying up to 5 or 10 years. A Rockville hit and run lawyer can often keep a first offense off your record.
I’m David Waranch, and I’ve handled thousands of Maryland traffic and criminal-traffic cases in Montgomery County and across the state. Below is what a leaving-the-scene charge really means in Rockville, and where the room to fight it usually is.
What Counts as Hit and Run in Rockville?
Hit and run is the everyday name for leaving the scene of an accident. Maryland law splits it by what the crash caused. If a collision results in bodily injury or death, Transp. § 20-102 says you must stop at once, return to the scene, and stay there. If the crash only damaged an attended vehicle or property, Transp. § 20-103 imposes the same stop-and-remain duty. A related section, § 20-104, then requires you to give your name, address, and registration, show your license on request, and render reasonable aid to anyone hurt.
The point people miss: leaving is a crime even when the accident was minor and no one was hurt. Pulling away from a parking-lot scrape on Rockville Pike because you were flustered is still charged as leaving the scene. What changes with the severity of the crash is how hard the penalty hits, not whether you can be charged.
What Are the Penalties for Leaving the Scene in Maryland?
The penalty ladder climbs with the harm done. The felony tiers only apply when the driver “knew or reasonably should have known” the crash might cause serious injury or death, which is a real fighting point in many cases. Here is how the tiers line up.
| Situation | Charge | Maximum penalty | License points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property/vehicle damage only (§ 20-103) | Misdemeanor | 2 months jail and/or $500 | 8 |
| Bodily injury (§ 20-102) | Misdemeanor | 1 year jail and/or $3,000 | 12 |
| Serious bodily injury, knew or should have known (§ 20-102) | Felony | 5 years jail and/or $5,000 | 12 |
| Death, knew or should have known (§ 20-102) | Felony | 10 years jail and/or $10,000 | 12 |
“A person who violates this section and who knew or reasonably should have known that the accident might result in the death of another person and death actually occurred to another person, is guilty of a felony and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 or both.” — Md. Code, Transp. § 20-102
Beyond jail and fines, the MVA can suspend or revoke your license, and a conviction can follow you into insurance rates and background checks for years. For a deeper split of how the damage-only and injury versions differ, see our page on hit and run property damage vs. injury.
How Many Points Does a Hit and Run Add?
Under Transp. § 16-402, failing to stop after a crash that damaged an attended or unattended vehicle or property is 8 points. Failing to stop after a crash that caused bodily injury or death is 12 points. Twelve points is enough for the MVA to revoke your license outright, and even 8 points triggers a suspension notice. Points stack on top of the criminal penalty, so a leaving-the-scene conviction hits your record twice. Our guide to Maryland’s point system explains how the thresholds work.
Don’t just pay it to make it go away. Injury and death hit and run charges are must-appear offenses, so there is nothing to prepay. If a property-damage citation shows a preset fine, paying it is a guilty plea that creates a conviction on your record and forecloses probation before judgment. Requesting a court date instead keeps a non-conviction outcome on the table. Talk to a lawyer before you send any money.
Where Will My Rockville Hit and Run Case Be Heard?
Rockville is the county seat, so Montgomery County cases run through the District and Circuit Courts in Rockville. A misdemeanor property-damage or bodily-injury charge usually starts in District Court. A felony charge, or any case where you demand a jury trial, moves to Circuit Court. Many of these crashes happen on the corridors that funnel through the city — I-270, I-495 (the Beltway), and MD-355 (Rockville Pike) — where a moment of panic after a collision turns into a criminal charge.
This page focuses on cases tied to the city of Rockville. If your crash was elsewhere in the county, our Montgomery County hit and run lawyer page covers the broader county picture. Either way, the law is the same; what changes is the courthouse and the local prosecutors you’ll be dealing with.
What Defenses Work Against a Hit and Run Charge?
The State has to prove you were the driver, that a reportable accident happened, and that you knowingly left without meeting your duties. Each of those is a place to push back. The defenses that come up most often in Rockville cases are:
- You didn’t know a crash occurred. A light contact in heavy Rockville Pike traffic, or a bump you genuinely felt as a pothole, undercuts the knowledge the State must prove.
- No injury actually resulted. If the case was over-charged as an injury hit and run, moving it down to property-damage-only changes everything about the exposure.
- Identity. A partial plate, a dark intersection, or a borrowed car can leave real doubt about who was driving.
- You did stop and comply. Sometimes information was exchanged and the report simply doesn’t reflect it.
- Knew or should have known. On the felony tiers, the State must prove you were aware the crash might cause serious injury or death — a heavy burden we hold them to.
A hit and run is often charged alongside other offenses. If yours involves an allegation of running from police, see our fleeing and eluding defense page.
Can a Rockville Hit and Run Lawyer Get Me PBJ?
Often, yes — especially on the lesser tiers. Probation before judgment under Crim. Proc. § 6-220 lets a judge withhold a finding of guilt and place you on probation instead. Complete it, and there is no conviction and no points from that charge. PBJ is a common, realistic goal for a first-time property-damage or minor-injury hit and run. On the felony serious-injury and death tiers it’s much harder, and the priority shifts to fighting the “knew or should have known” element or negotiating the charge down.
What I do first is get the police report, any camera or witness evidence, and your account, then look for the weakest link in the State’s proof. Because these cases can require a court appearance, having counsel appear and argue for you matters — read more on whether a lawyer can appear without you. If you’re worried about coverage after a crash, our overview of insurance and hit and run is a useful next read.
Rockville Hit and Run: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Maryland requires you to stop and remain at the scene of any accident, even a minor one with only property damage. Leaving is a misdemeanor under Transp. Section 20-103 carrying up to 2 months in jail, a $500 fine, and 8 points, no matter how small the damage was.
Yes. Failing to stop after a crash that damaged a vehicle or property is 8 points, and failing to stop after a crash that caused bodily injury or death is 12 points. Twelve points can lead to license revocation, and the points apply on top of any criminal penalty.
Often, yes. Probation before judgment under Crim. Proc. Section 6-220 lets a judge withhold a finding of guilt so there is no conviction or points once you complete probation. It is a realistic goal on property-damage and minor-injury cases, though the felony serious-injury and death tiers are much harder.
Law Offices of David R. Waranch — 301-563-9575 · toll-free 1-877-566-2408. Hablamos Español. Serving Rockville and Montgomery County, including the District and Circuit Courts in Rockville.
Last updated: August 2026. Statutory references: Md. Code, Transp. §§ 20-102, 20-103, 20-104, 16-402; Crim. Proc. § 6-220. This page is general information about Maryland law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.