Pa. Increases Hit-And-Run Mandatory Minimum From One Year To Three; Still Not Enough

Bill Bender, good guy over at the Philadelphia Daily News, forwarded me a press release from the office of up-for-reelection Gov. Tom Corbett tonight. It read, in part …

June 30, 2014
Governor Corbett Signs Bill to Strengthen Hit-and-Run Violation Penalties

Harrisburg – Governor Tom Corbett today signed a law that toughens the penalty for hit and run violations, a change pushed forward by a tragedy involving a 5-year-old boy, Kevin Miller of Luzerne County.

“Nothing will ever heal the loss Kevin’s family endures, but we hope this law, which will invoke his memory, will bring some measure of justice to drivers who cause such devastation,” Corbett said.

The measure increases the mandatory minimum prison sentence for fleeing the scene of a fatal accident. The charge has carried only a one-year minimum, but “Kevin’s Law” would put the penalty on par with the three-year sentence for a DUI homicide.

Miller was struck by a hit-and-run driver on Dec. 21, 2012, in Wilkes-Barre as he was crossing the street with his family when leaving a Christmas party.

A couple thoughts:

— Good on Harrisburg for recognizing that our hit-and-run penalties were woefully weak.

— A three-year mandatory minimum is still offensively light, and pales in comparison to other states.

— The driver who killed Kevin Miller could serve fewer than two years.

— Bothers me that it took a 5-year-old getting killed for the legislature to finally make a move on this (SB1312).

— Like I said, this is still a nice move. But more needs to be done. Particularly because our ridiculously light laws encourage drivers to flee. That’s why I’ve been in touch (and will be again soon) with Larry L. Stevenson, whose work on the Medina Alert in Colorado has been a paradigm-shifting boon. Akin to the Amber Alert, more forward-looking states than Pennsylvania have adopted it. We should too. It’s my new mission.

— RIP, Kevin. I’ll keep fighting the scourge of hit-and-run drivers for you and all victims.

— I’ll have a lot more to say about it once I talk to Stevenson later this week.