Hit and run in Tucson, AZ: what to do, who pays and when to call a lawyer

Last checked November 8, 2026

After a hit and run in Tucson, call 911 if anyone is hurt, or Tucson Police at 520-791-4444 if not.1 Leaving an injury crash is a felony in Arizona.2 If the driver is never found, your own uninsured motorist coverage may pay.3 Arizona's general limit to file suit is 2 years.4

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Road map of Tucson's arterial streets, where Tucson Police takes hit-and-run reports on city streets
Hit and run in Tucson? Call police at 520-791-4444 if no one is hurt. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What should you do right after a hit and run in Tucson?

  1. Stay where you are safe and call 911 if anyone needs care.
  2. Do not chase the other car. Your safety and your claim both do better if you stay put.
  3. Write down what you remember while it is fresh: color, make, part of the plate, damage, which way it went.
  4. Look for people and cameras. Ask nearby stores, gas stations and homes about video today, because it may be recorded over quickly.
  5. Report it even if your car still drives. Tucson Police's non-emergency line is 520-791-4444.1
  6. Get the case number. Your insurer and any lawyer will ask for it first.

Is a hit and run a felony in Arizona?

If someone is hurt, yes. A driver in a crash that injures or kills a person must stop right away and stay at the scene, and this applies on private property too, such as a store parking lot.5 The driver also has to give a name, address and registration number and help anyone who is hurt.6

Result of the crashCharge for leaving
Death or serious injuryClass 3 felony, or class 2 if the driver caused the crash2
Other injuryClass 5 felony2

A criminal case is the State's case, and it does not pay your bills by itself. Your own claim for money is separate and has its own deadline.

How common are hit-and-run crashes around Tucson?

We could not find a published Tucson count. Statewide, ADOT's 2024 table lists 16,136 hit-and-run drivers involved in crashes, with 86 people killed and 4,202 injured.7 For scale, ADOT counted 5,977 crashes of all kinds in Tucson that year.8

How do you get a police report for a hit and run in Tucson?

Start with the agency that took the call. For a Tucson street, reports are sold through Crashdocs,9 or you can ask the Records Section at 270 S. Stone Ave.10 A direct copy is $5 plus 25 cents per page after 15 pages.11 On I-10 or I-19, DPS has it.12 In a sheriff patrol district, ask Pima County Sheriff Records at (520) 351-4650.13

As someone in the crash, you can ask for the full, unredacted report, with some exceptions.14 If the first copy has names blacked out, say that you were involved.

Who pays for a hit and run if the driver is never found?

Often your own policy, if you have the right coverage. Arizona insurers have to offer uninsured motorist coverage in writing.15 Look for that page in your policy. A claim like this usually moves on your insurer's rules, so read the notice section and report it promptly.

Watch for one trap. If an unknown car caused your crash but never touched you, Arizona requires extra proof that it caused the wreck, such as a witness.3 So if a car ran you off the road, finding one person who saw it can decide the claim.

If the driver is later found, you may also claim against that driver. That claim also runs on the two-year limit.4

How can you help Tucson Police find the driver?

Share anything new with the detective on your case. Tucson Police also publishes the 88-CRIME line, 520-882-7463, for tips.16 If you have a case number, the City lets crime victims register for updates at engage.tucsonaz.gov/case_status. You will need the case number and the victim's date of birth.17

Some people worry about calling police because of their papers. Tucson Police says its job is to protect all community members, regardless of immigration status.18 You can still call if you were hurt.

What if a City vehicle left the scene in Tucson?

It is rare, but the deadline is what matters. Claims against the City are due within 180 days, and the Clerk's email is the preferred route.19 Confirm that the form arrived, because the City says that part is on you.20

When should you call a hit and run lawyer in Tucson?

  • You were hurt and the driver has not been found.
  • Your insurer is denying uninsured motorist coverage or says you need more proof.
  • There was no contact between the vehicles.
  • You need someone to ask for video before it is gone.
  • Your hospital is Banner UMC Tucson or another large system and the bills are piling up.21

Questions

Who do I call for a hit and run in Tucson?

911 if anyone is hurt. Otherwise Tucson Police at 520-791-4444.1

Is it a felony to leave the scene in Arizona?

When someone is injured or killed, yes.2

Does my insurance cover a hit and run in Arizona?

It may, if you have uninsured motorist coverage. A no-contact crash needs extra proof.3

How can I give a tip about a hit and run in Tucson?

Tucson Police lists 88-CRIME at 520-882-7463.16

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Sources

  1. Tucson Police, Frequently Asked Questions, checked 2026-11-08. “Non-emergency: 520-791-4444”
  2. A.R.S. § 28-661(C)-(D), checked 2026-11-08. “A driver who is involved in an accident resulting in death or serious physical injury as defined in section 13-105 and who fails to stop or to comply with the requirements of section 28-663 is guilty of a class 3 felony, except that if a driver caused the accident the driver is guilty of a class 2 felony. [...] A driver who is involved in an accident resulting in an injury other than death or serious physical injury as defined in section 13-105 and who fails to stop or to comply with the requirements of section 28-663 is guilty of a class 5 felony.”
  3. A.R.S. § 20-259.01(M), checked 2026-11-08. “If an insured makes a bodily injury or death claim under uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage based on an accident that involved an unidentified motor vehicle and no physical contact with the motor vehicle occurred, the insured shall provide corroboration that the unidentified motor vehicle caused the accident.”
  4. A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
  5. A.R.S. § 28-661(A), checked 2026-11-08. “The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident on public or private property resulting in injury to or death of a person shall: 1. Immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close to the accident scene as possible but shall immediately return to the accident scene.”
  6. A.R.S. § 28-663(A), checked 2026-11-08. “1. Give the driver's name and address and the registration number of the vehicle the driver is driving. [...] 3. Render reasonable assistance to a person injured in the accident”
  7. ADOT, 2024 Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts, checked 2026-11-08. “| Yes | 16,136 | 84 | 3,321 | 12,731 | 86 | 4,202 |”
  8. ADOT, 2024 Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts, checked 2026-11-08. “| Tucson | 5,977 | 93 | 2,571 | 3,313 | 96 | 3,644 | 387 | 23 | 259 |”
  9. Tucson Police, Request Public Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Collision reports are stored electronically in a secure database and are available for purchase at Crashdocs.”
  10. Tucson Police, Request Public Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Tucson Police Department Records Section 270 S Stone Ave Tucson, AZ 85701-1917”
  11. Tucson Police, Records Request Form, checked 2026-11-08. “$5.00 per report plus $0.25 per page after 15 pages.”
  12. Arizona DPS, Request Records, checked 2026-11-08. “maintains records for collisions (accidents) that were investigated by DPS Troopers occurring on an Interstate or State Highway”
  13. Pima County Sheriff, Obtain a Police Report, checked 2026-11-08. “Reports are $5.00 each (additional $.25/per page for reports over twenty pages)”
  14. A.R.S. § 28-667(C)(6)(a), checked 2026-11-08. “on request shall provide a copy of the unredacted report to the following: (a) A person who is involved in the accident”
  15. A.R.S. § 20-259.01(A), checked 2026-11-08. “Every insurer writing automobile liability or motor vehicle liability policies shall make available to the named insured thereunder and by written notice offer the named insured and at the request of the named insured shall include within the policy uninsured motorist coverage”
  16. Tucson Police, Frequently Asked Questions, checked 2026-11-08. “88-CRIME (520-882-7463)”
  17. Tucson Police, Victim Rights Information, checked 2026-11-08. “You will need your case number and the victim's date of birth.”
  18. Tucson Police, Frequently Asked Questions, checked 2026-11-08. “That means all community members, regardless of immigration status.”
  19. City of Tucson, File a Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “Claimants have 180 days from an accident or injury to file a claim against the City.”
  20. beta.tucsonaz.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “It is your sole responsibility to confirm that the Clerk’s office has received your form.”
  21. Arizona DHS, State Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “1625 N. Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85719 11/11/24 11/11/27”

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