Milwaukee County DA's office on penalties for leaving crash scene
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Todd Hicks reports Video by 620wtmj.com
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MILWAUKEE- Drivers who leave the scene of an accident face stiff penalties.
If someone was hurt, they could even face a felony.
The Milwaukee County district attorney's office has a stern warning for drivers who have taken off after a string of hit-and-runs: Prison time is likely in your future.
The family of Camillo D'Amico - fought back emotions after a driver ran him down and left him for dead Wednesday in Sussex.
"I was just so shook up...its just your worst nightmare," said Camillo's son Frank D'Amico.
That hit and run is the latest in string of similar crimes. Crime that changed the lives of the victims and their families who've been hurt or killed, forever.
"I'm very upset who did this. And I'm asking the community to come and help us," said Camillo's daughter-in-law Ginny D'Amico.
TODAY'S TMJ4 wanted to know what kinds of penalties these drivers face, once they're caught.
"We're concerned about the nature of these acts and the prevalence of them right now," said Milwaukee County deputy district attorney Kent Lovern.
Lovern said if a driver stays on the scene -- it could be a misdemeanor with little or no jail time.
Drivers who run could face decades behind bars.
"Once you start talking about a hit and run resulting in serious injury, now we're talking about a 15 year felony and those that result in a death result in a 25 year felony," said Lovern.
Lovern says many of the drivers who run, are drunk or high. "Others just panic and out of fear of what that accident was, they drive away, it's unfortunately it's an impulsive mistake."
Lovern told TODAY'S TMJ4 with cell phones and surveillance cameras everywhere these days, most hit and run drivers are eventually caught.
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