FSRA cases are unusual among traffic felonies: the state must prove you knew a collision happened and knowingly drove away. Night impacts, glancing contact, and genuine unawareness are real defense terrain.
Charge: Failure to Stop and Render Aid / Duty on Striking — Transportation Code §§ 550.021–550.025
Level: Misdemeanor (property) to second-degree felony (death)
Range: Class C/B (vehicle damage) → up to 5 years (injury) → 2–20 years (death)
Court: Municipal/JP through district court, by severity
How these cases play out in Central Texas courts
Police typically work these backward from a plate — which means the first contact you get is a knock or a card on your door asking you to ‘tell your side.’ Don’t. Statements are the state’s best evidence precisely because knowledge is their hardest element. The statute’s duties (stop, exchange information, render reasonable aid) also create compliance defenses: returning to the scene, attempting contact, and post-accident conduct all bear on ‘knowing failure.’ Severity scales with harm, and injury-level cases need counsel before any interview, insurance statement included.
Questions we hear about this charge
An officer left a card asking about an accident — should I call?
Call a lawyer first, not the officer. The interview exists to establish the knowledge element. Everything can still be handled properly — through counsel.
I genuinely didn’t feel the impact — is that believable?
With low-speed, glancing, or nighttime contact, yes — and vehicle damage patterns, road conditions, and acoustics can corroborate it. Knowledge is the state’s burden, not yours.
Does my insurance statement affect the criminal case?
It can surface. Coordinate insurance communications with defense counsel in injury-level FSRA cases — timing and content both matter.
Facing a DUTY ON STRIKING / FSRA charge?
The first weeks decide what’s possible — evidence preservation, bond terms, and early litigation posture. Criminal defense in Travis, Hays, Williamson, Bexar, and Bastrop counties is provided by Stephen T. Bowling, DWI & Criminal Defense Attorneys — former police officers who know how these cases are built. Free consultation, 24/7, flat-fee quote included.
General Texas legal information, not legal advice for your specific case. Enhancements, priors, and case facts change punishment exposure. Last reviewed July 2026.