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← Back to Law ExplorerLast verified: June 2026 · Source: laws-lois.justice.gc.ca
Impaired Driving & TransportationHybrid
§320.16

Failure to Stop After Accident

Failure to stop after accident

Impaired Driving
Maximum Sentence

10 years (bodily harm) / life (death)

Classification: Hybrid
🍁 Immigration Impact

Hybrid offence. Hit-and-run causing bodily harm or death is serious criminality under IRPA s.36(1). Even without injury, this creates inadmissibility under s.36(2).

🍁 In Simple Terms

Leaving a crash scene instead of staying and identifying yourself. Where someone was injured the maximum is 10 years, and where someone died it is life, which lands a hit and run in serious criminality territory. Even where nobody was hurt the conviction still counts at the border, because the charge can be prosecuted the serious way.

Legal Text, Criminal Code s. 320.16

(1) Everyone commits an offence who operates a conveyance and who at the time of operating the conveyance knows that, or is reckless as to whether, the conveyance has been involved in an accident with a person or another conveyance and who fails, without reasonable excuse, to stop the conveyance, give their name and address and, if any person has been injured or appears to require assistance, offer assistance. (2) Everyone commits an offence who commits an offence under subsection (1) and who at the time of committing the offence knows that, or is reckless as to whether, the accident resulted in bodily harm to another person. (3) Everyone commits an offence who commits an offence under subsection (1) and who, at the time of committing the offence, knows that, or is reckless as to whether, the accident resulted in the death of another person or in bodily harm to another person whose death ensues.

Amendment History (1)
2018, c. 21, s. 15
Related Sections
Official Source: Justice Canada: Criminal Code s. 320.16 (authoritative, may differ from this display)
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