Most fleeing and eluding arrests occur after the high-speed pursuit has occurred. Police officers will chase your car and then ultimately make the stop and arrest.
However, there are instances where the car fleeing the officer or officers is able to get away.
You may have gotten away but your troubles are far from over. Fleeing and eluding is a serious felony and officers will continue to investigate until they locate both the car and driver that fled from them.
If you manage to get away from the police, they likely have the make, model, and tag number of your car. The first thing they will do is look up the vehicle information through the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) database to find out the identity of the vehicle’s registered owner.
Once this information is obtained, expect a visit from the police.
If the officer can identify you as the driver of the car, you will be placed under arrest. If the driver was unable to see who was driving the car at the time of the chase, they will attempt to take your statement.
This is a crucial time in the investigation process and if you are considering retaining a criminal defense attorney, now is the time to do it.
The police can be persistent and are permitted to lie and trick you into making a statement. The driving pattern coupled with even the slightest admission of guilt are enough to charge you with a serious crime.
Fleeing and eluding carries a mandatory felony conviction and a one-year driver’s license suspension. If you were running from the cops at a high-rate of speed and their lights and sirens were activated, you could face up to 15 years in prison for aggravated fleeing and eluding.
You cannot be charged with fleeing and eluding if your identity as the driver of the car is unknown. Don’t give the police the information they need to arrest and charge you.
Eric Matheny is a Miami fleeing and eluding lawyer and Broward fleeing and eluding lawyer.