The lawyer for country legend Emmylou Harris entered a plea in her hit-and-run driving case on Wednesday, and it was "not guilty." As we reported in late December, Harris allegedly hit a car on a Los Angeles freeway on Oct. 1 and then left the scene.
Harris was, at the time, driving a rental car on the 405 Freeway when she allegedly struck a car. She reportedy left the scene without exchanging info and was said to not even stop.
At the time of the December report, authorities had just completed their investigation. They have since decided to charge Harris with misdemeanor hit-and-run, with the charges filed on Wednesday.
At the time of the report, Emmylou Harris' representative called the fender bender a "garden-variety accident that happens every day on the 405," claiming Harris only left the scene because she didn't realize she struck another car. The rep added that Harris had already turned the case over to her insurance company.
If convicted on the hit-and-run charge, Emmylou faces up to 6 months in jail.
According to California state law,
the driver of any motor vehicle that has been involved in an accident or collision, regardless of the level of seriousness or extent of injury, must stop, find the owner of the damaged property and produce his or her driver documentation.
The vehicle codes involved in California are:
Vehicle Code Section 20002 - When an accident results only in property damage (including motor vehicles), the driver must stop and locate owner or person in charge and exchange driver documentation. If owner of damaged property cannot be located, the driver is not permitted to leave the scene of the accident until the following actions have been completed:
- Leave a note with facts surrounding the case and driver documentation information.
- Report the accident to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) or local police.
Vehicle Code Sections 20001, 20003, and 20004 - Any accident that involves injury or death mandates the driver to perform all actions included in Section 20002 plus render reasonable assistance to the injured party or parties.
Harris was allegedly in violation of Vehicle Code Section 20002, in this case.
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