How far must a person travel before it's considered a Hit & Run?

Yes, especially since they were trying to run away on foot. Anyone who wanted to stop would not have taken over half a mile to do so, that's over 2500 feet. If their vehicle hadn't conked out you can bet they would have kept on going, and two of them were trying to do exactly that. Of course, they will say they were going to get help, but that's a lie.

Frequency - most runners believe 3 or 4 times a week is adequate. Speed counts in a way because anything slower than an 11 minute mile is called jogging and you would be called a jogger. People will say jogging anyway but you can just hit them and make them stop. I hate being called a jogger. To jog is human, to run devine. Distance. I would think you have to run at least a mile each time you go out but 3 is probably a better measure. Mentally - you know you are a runner if you love it and it is the workout of choice for you. Many people just run to train for something else and running is not their thing at all. That would be a soccer player who runs or a cyclist who runs.

As a quote from the Supreme Court case California v. Byers, "Just as there is no constitutional right to refuse to file an income tax return, there is no constitutional right to flee the scene of an accident to avoid any possible legal involvement"

So, if the other party intended to flee, yes it was a hit & run. However, if the other party only intended to search for a more suitable area to pull over (such as, a wider shoulder), it may not have been.

Also, check out the second link I posted (DMV) to see an actual definition of the California Vehicle Code on Hit & Run, for more information like "The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting only in damage to any property, including vehicles, shall immediately stop the vehicle at the nearest location that will not impede traffic or otherwise jeopardize the safety of other motorists."

Sorry to hear about the accident.

Yes it is and I'm pretty sure the CHP who responded wrote it up as one, if not maybe check and see why not. In CA. any attempt to flee, 5 feet or 500 feet is a violation of 20002cvc misdemeanor hit and run. yours definitely sounds like it qualifies 'though I wasn't there to see it. Your insurance company probably has a copy of the report so give them a call and see what the report says and what the investigator wrote it up as. Your insurance agent can explain why they are paying on the claim rather than going after the other party in the collision (they may be uninsured etc.) Good luck.

Contact a lawyer, check your statutes for you area. I don't have mine on me right now, but I imagine that it would say something along the lines of knowingly and intentionally leaving the scene of an accident with the intent to evade justice...they always sound like that. But check with a lawyer!!!

6 miles is quite a ways to travel after an accident. It sounds like they could have stopped a lot sooner.

Yes, because they attempted to get away. It is obvious that they tried to escape because they drove away and they were that far away. If it wasn't hit and run, they would have stopped right away and helped you.

that is hit and run dude. even the intention of leaving the scene is a crime in and of itself.

what they shoulda done was just get out of the car and exchange info.

Sure sounds like it, though I wouldn't put it past a clever defense attorney to argue otherwise.

Make sure you have a witness His or her Phone #, and the other driver's license# and insurance Policy #. Tell your insurance Agent what you tell us. Good Luck !