Is Purposely Causing a Car Accident a Crime in Arizona?

Intentionally causing a car accident in Arizona is a serious criminal offense that can result in felony charges including aggravated assault, endangerment, and even attempted murder depending on the circumstances. Arizona law treats deliberate vehicular harm with the same severity as other violent crimes. If someone is injured, you face mandatory prison time. At Oliverson Law DUI & Criminal Defense, our team — led by a former judge, former prosecutors, and a former police officer — defends clients facing vehicular crime charges across Maricopa County and beyond. Call (480) 582-3637 for a free, confidential case evaluation.

Key Takeaways

• It Is Absolutely a Crime: Purposely causing a car accident in Arizona can be charged as aggravated assault (Class 3 felony), endangerment, criminal damage, or even attempted murder depending on the intent and outcome.
• Injuries Escalate the Charges: If anyone is seriously injured, you face aggravated assault with a dangerous instrument (the vehicle), which carries mandatory prison time even for first-time offenders.
• Insurance Fraud Compounds the Problem: If the intentional accident was staged for an insurance claim, you face additional felony fraud charges on top of the vehicular crime charges.

Criminal Charges for Intentionally Causing an Accident

When someone deliberately uses a vehicle to cause a collision, Arizona prosecutors can bring multiple charges depending on the circumstances. The vehicle itself is classified as a “dangerous instrument” under Arizona law, which automatically elevates the severity of assault charges.

Aggravated Assault with a Dangerous Instrument

Under A.R.S. § 13-1204, using a vehicle to intentionally cause harm to another person constitutes aggravated assault with a dangerous instrument. This is a Class 3 dangerous felony carrying a presumptive sentence of 7.5 years in prison for a first offense. If the victim suffers serious physical injury, the sentence can reach 15 years. There is no probation available for dangerous felonies — prison time is mandatory.

Endangerment

Even if no one is physically injured, deliberately causing a collision that puts others at substantial risk of imminent death or physical injury can be charged as endangerment under A.R.S. § 13-1201. If the risk involves death, endangerment is a Class 6 felony. If the risk involves physical injury, it is a Class 1 misdemeanor. Prosecutors often file endangerment charges alongside assault charges when multiple people were put at risk.

Attempted Murder

In extreme cases — such as deliberately ramming another vehicle at high speed or targeting a pedestrian — prosecutors may charge attempted first-degree murder under A.R.S. § 13-1105. This is a Class 2 felony carrying up to 12.5 years for a first offense and significantly more with prior convictions. The prosecution must prove that the defendant acted with the specific intent to kill.

Insurance Fraud: A Separate Felony

Staged accidents are a common form of insurance fraud in Arizona. If the intentional collision was designed to file a false insurance claim, you face additional charges under A.R.S. § 20-463, which makes insurance fraud a Class 5 felony. Prosecutors and insurance investigators work closely together, and staged accident rings are actively investigated in Maricopa County. A conviction for insurance fraud carries its own prison sentence on top of any vehicular crime charges.

Defenses to Intentional Accident Charges

Defending against these charges requires challenging the prosecution’s evidence of intent. Common defenses include demonstrating that the collision was truly accidental, challenging witness credibility, presenting evidence of mechanical failure, or showing that the defendant was acting in self-defense. Dashcam footage, traffic camera recordings, cell phone data, and accident reconstruction analysis are all critical pieces of evidence your attorney will examine.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is purposely causing a car accident a crime in Arizona? Yes. Depending on the circumstances, it can be charged as aggravated assault with a dangerous instrument, endangerment, criminal damage, attempted murder, or a combination of charges. If anyone is injured, you face mandatory prison time as a dangerous felony.

Can I go to prison for intentionally causing a car accident? Yes. If charged as aggravated assault with a dangerous instrument (the vehicle), you face a Class 3 dangerous felony with a presumptive prison sentence of 7.5 years. Prison is mandatory for dangerous felony convictions — probation is not available.

What if I staged an accident for an insurance claim? You face both vehicular crime charges and insurance fraud charges. Insurance fraud under A.R.S. § 20-463 is a Class 5 felony. Combined with assault or endangerment charges, you could face multiple consecutive prison sentences.

What if the accident was not intentional but I’m being accused? This is where an experienced defense attorney is critical. Your lawyer will examine all available evidence — dashcam footage, witness statements, accident reconstruction data, phone records — to demonstrate that the collision was accidental, not deliberate. Challenging the prosecution’s evidence of intent is often the strongest defense strategy.