Hit and Run in Colorado: Steps to Take in 24 Hours

After a hit-and-run in Colorado, get safe, call 911, get medical care the same day, and start saving evidence, especially nearby video, before it is recorded over. Your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage can stand in for the driver who fled, and your MedPay can pay early medical bills no matter who was at fault (C.R.S. § 10-4-609; C.R.S. § 10-4-635). Leaving the scene of an injury crash is itself a crime in Colorado (C.R.S. § 42-4-1601).

What should I do in the first 24 hours after a hit-and-run?

1. 1. Minute 1: move out of traffic if you can, turn on hazards, and call 911.
2. 2. Minute 5: don't chase the driver. Say every detail you remember into your phone.
3. 3. Minute 15: photograph the scene, the damage, the debris, and any injuries.
4. 4. Minute 30: ask nearby shops and homes to save their camera footage.
5. 5. Hour 1: get names and phone numbers from everyone who saw it.
6. 6. Same day: get checked by a doctor, and tell them it was a hit-and-run.
7. 7. Same day: get the police case number, and notify your own insurer.
8. 8. Within 24 hours: talk to a lawyer about UM, MedPay, and preservation letters.

A hit-and-run happens in seconds: a jolt, a set of taillights, and then you're alone on the shoulder of US-160 with a racing heart. What you do next shapes your health, your evidence, and how your bills get paid. I look at these cases through two lenses. The nurse in me wants you checked. The lawyer in me wants the video saved.

What does Colorado law require of a driver after a crash?

Colorado puts clear duties on every driver in an injury crash. Stop at the scene, or as close as possible, or come right back — that's the rule under C.R.S. § 42-4-1601(1). The driver has to stay until the duties in § 42-4-1603 are met: give name, address, and plate number; show a license if asked; and help anyone hurt, including getting them to a hospital when that's clearly needed (C.R.S. § 42-4-1603). The crash must also be reported to police right away (C.R.S. § 42-4-1606).

Fleeing carries real penalties. Leaving a crash that caused injury is a class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense. If someone suffered serious bodily injury, it becomes a class 4 felony, and if someone died, a class 3 felony. A conviction also means a revoked license (C.R.S. § 42-4-1601(2)-(3)).

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The driver of any vehicle directly involved in an accident resulting in injury to, serious bodily injury to, or death of any person shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of such accident or as close to the scene as possible or shall immediately return to the scene of the accident.

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Who pays if the hit-and-run driver is never found?

Your own policy usually pays. Uninsured motorist coverage is written to cover the people on your policy who are “legally entitled to recover damages” from an uninsured driver. Most policies define an unknown hit-and-run driver as uninsured, so read the definition on your policy. Colorado law adds a safety valve in C.R.S. § 10-4-609(6). If the driver is known but can't be located for service after a reasonable effort, and the police report doesn't show their insurer, they are treated as uninsured for your UM claim. That coverage matters more here than in most states. About 1 in 5 Colorado drivers carried no insurance in 2023, the 9th-highest rate in the country (Insurance Research Council, 2025 Study, via Insurance Information Institute).

• • UM coverage: pays for injuries the missing driver caused, up to your limits.
• • MedPay: pays crash medical bills, usually $5,000, regardless of fault.
• • Collision coverage: pays to fix your car, minus your deductible.
• • Health insurance: a backstop for medical care, though it may seek repayment.

UM coverage has one more feature people miss. Under C.R.S. § 10-4-609(1)(c), it can't be reduced by what MedPay, health insurance, or other coverage already paid. Our UM/UIM guide explains limits and stacking in more detail.

What evidence wins a Colorado hit-and-run case?

A UM claim is still a claim you have to prove. You need to show another driver caused the crash and that the crash caused your injuries. The evidence that does that best tends to fall into five groups:

1. 1. Video with timestamps, from storefronts, gas stations, doorbells, buses, and dashcams.
2. 2. Scene proof: debris, paint transfer, skid marks, and damage that fits your story.
3. 3. Your own voice memo of the fleeing car: color, type, partial plate, stickers, direction.
4. 4. Witnesses, with names and phone numbers taken that day.
5. 5. Medical records that name the crash as the cause and list real exam findings.

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Camera footage is the clock in these cases. Some systems record over themselves within days. When a client calls me the same afternoon, we can usually still ask the gas station to save it. A week later, it's often gone.

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Why should I see a doctor the same day, even if I feel fine?

Adrenaline hides pain for hours, and some injuries show up late. MedlinePlus notes that head injury symptoms “can occur right away or may develop slowly over several hours or days” (MedlinePlus: Head injury, first aid). Tell the doctor it was a hit-and-run, and describe how you were hit: rear impact, side swipe, or knocked to the pavement. A same-day chart also blocks the insurer's favorite argument, that you must have been hurt somewhere else.

What should I avoid after a hit-and-run?

• • Chasing the other car. It's dangerous, and it can make your own driving the issue.
• • Guessing about speed or distance when you talk to an adjuster.
• • Giving a recorded statement before you get advice, even to your own UM carrier.
• • Posting about the crash. A smiling photo from a barbecue will be used against you.
• • Fixing the car or tossing torn clothes, shoes, or a helmet before they're photographed.

How long do I have to act after a hit-and-run in Colorado?

A claim for injuries from the use of a motor vehicle generally has three years in Colorado (C.R.S. § 13-80-101(1)(n)). Your insurance policy likely requires prompt notice, too, and that deadline can be much shorter. If a government vehicle was involved, a written notice is due within 182 days (C.R.S. § 24-10-109). Treat the first day as the real deadline for evidence, and the policy notice rule as the real deadline for your insurer.

Hit in La Plata County or anywhere in the Four Corners, and the driver drove off? Our uninsured motorist practice, part of our personal injury practice, sends preservation letters, maps your coverage, and builds the medical side of the claim. A free consultation is the place to start.