It isn’t just the ordinary citizen who has run-in’s with the law and with other motorists. Famed singer, Emmylou Harris, has been charged with misdemeanor hit and run offenses by Los Angeles prosecutors. The vehicular accident took place last year on October 1. The charges allege that Ms. Harris did not stop to exchange her information with the other driver involved in the accident. It is not known at this time why it took so long for the LA prosecutors to file the charges.
It was also noted that the criminal complaint that was filed in Beverly Hills offered no additional details about the incident and did not mention the extent of any damages suffered to the vehicles.
It was recently announced, however, that an attorney representing Ms. Harris as formally entered a plea of not guilty plea on Ms. Harris’ behalf. It has also been released that the accident that occurred was a minor one. Ms. Harris, who is a well-known member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, is said to have been driving in a rental car at the time of the accident. The accident happened on the I-405 when Ms. Harris allegedly hit the other vehicle and the left the accident scene before she exchanged her information with the other person involved. The other driver filed an accident report with the police and, it is believed, through the police department’s investigation, ultimately led them to Ms. Harris. The misdemeanor charges were formally filed against her on January 30.
In the State of California, drivers who are involved in motor accidents are required to stop and exchange information, including insurance information. Failure to perform this act can, and does as we see here, lead to misdemeanor charges, even if the person who is charged with failing to exchange their information is not at fault for the original accident.
Emmylou Harris is regarded as one of the most influential female musicians of the last few decades. She has earned literally dozens of Grammy Awards for her own solo songs as well as being hailed as one of the great musical collaborators in modern times. She has worked with some of the most famous artists including Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt.
A spokesperson for the 65-year-old singer said that Ms. Harris left the scene because she had not realized that she had hit another vehicle. The spokesperson went on to say that the accident was your “garden variety” fender-bender. Ms. Harris herself has yet to make a statement concerning the accident, the charges or any injuries that she may or may not have suffered. She is currently on tour and continues to work with her next album scheduled to be released at the end of February.
As of this writing, the driver of the other vehicle has not made a public statement concerning the incident other than what was included in the accident report that was filed at the scene back in October of last year.
For more information about Emmylou Harris, click here
