Virginia Failing To Stop Scene Accident Property Damage Fairfax County Arlington Court Eluding Police Hit Run

MICHAEL TERRANCE TREU v. COMMONWEALTHdefendant drove his vehicle into a police cruiser
OF VIRGINIAand fled the scene, giving rise to the hit and run
Court of Appeals of Virginiaconviction. The hit and run conviction was not
Treu was convicted in Arlington County of failingbarred by Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-294 because
to stop at the scene of an accident involvingseparate acts sustained the offenses.  Applying
property damage, a violation of former Code §the Estes test to the facts, we conclude that the
46.1-176.Arlington County prosecution for hit and run was
Whether the prior conviction for fleeing a policenot barred. None of the evidence involving the
office was excluded the subsequent conviction offlight from police in Fairfax County was required
hit and run?to prove the hit and run in Falls Church. The
The Arlington court found that defendant's priorArlington County conviction was not based on the
conviction in Fairfax County, Virginia for fleeing a"same act" that served as the basis for the
police officer did not bar his subsequent hit andFairfax County Conviction.
run conviction in Arlington County, Virginia,Accordingly this court affirmed.
although the hit and run was the culmination ofDisclaimer:
the same flight from the police that gave rise toThese summaries are provided by the SRIS Law
the Fairfax County conviction. The flight convictionGroup.  They represent the firm's unofficial views
resulted from defendant's attempt to elude police.of the Justices' opinions.  The original opinions
While so eluding police at a high rate of speed,should be consulted for their authoritative content.