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4/24/2025
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House OKs Serpa bill to increase penalties for driving offenses that result in bodily injury or death
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STATE HOUSE — The House of Representatives today approved legislation introduced by Rep. Patricia A. Serpa (D-Dist. 27, West Warwick, Coventry) that would provide for increased penalties for all driving offenses which result in serious bodily injury or death.
The bill (2025-H 5638) would the increase of penalties for individuals that fail to stop at an accident resulting in personal injury or death; driving so as to endanger, resulting in death; and driving under the influence of liquor or drugs, resulting in death.
“This bill is designed to make our highways safer by discouraging dangerous and deadly driving behavior,” said Representative Serpa. “There were 37,888 crashes in Rhode Island last year. Of those, 287 resulted in serious bodily injury, and 52 resulted in death. These tougher penalties will prioritize justice for victims and their families.”
Under the legislation, the imprisonment for those who fail to stop would increase from five to 10 years, and their license would be revoked for at least two years instead of up to two years. The imprisonment for driving to endanger, death resulting, would increase from 10 to 30 years, and license would be revoked for at least five years, instead of up to five years. The imprisonment for driving under the influence, death resulting, would increase from 15 to 30 years, with license revoked for at least five years, perhaps permanently.
Sidney Wordell, executive director of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association, testified in favor of the bill, telling the House Judiciary Committee that “The current legal consequences in Rhode Island fail to serve as a sufficient deterrent, allowing offenders to evade responsibility and leaving grieving families without justice. It is essential that we enact stricter measures to hold offenders accountable and enhance public safety. Hit-and-run accidents causing fatalities and/or serious bodily injuries are a growing concern, and the current sentencing limitations provide little deterrence.”
Peter Alviti Jr., director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, also testified in support of the legislation.
Representative Serpa has been in the vanguard of legislation that toughens penalties for driving offenses. Last session she introduced a new law (2024-H 7631aa) that extends the lookback period for repeat offenses of driving under the influence, making fine, jail time and license suspension mandatory for offenses repeated within a 10-year period.
The measure now moves to the Senate, where similar legislation (2025-S 0298) has been introduced by Sen. Leonidas P. Raptakis (D-Dist. 33, Coventry, West Greenwich).
For more information, contact:
Daniel Trafford, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-1922
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