Court: State Must Prove Drivers Knew They Were In Crash

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Authorities must prove drivers knew they were in a crash before charging them with leaving the scene of an accident.

The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously agreed with a lower court’s decision to throw out the conviction of a South Florida man charged after he hit a skateboarder.

Zachariah Dorsett said he did not know his truck struck a 15-year-old who had lost control of his skateboard and fell in the road. Police pulled Dorsett over about three miles from the accident.

There was no evidence of damage to the truck or skid marks in the 2007 accident. Dorsett said he had his radio and air-conditioning on at the time.

A jury convicted Dorsett and he was sentenced to two years. An appeals court in 2013 overturned the decision.