Legislative Hit & Run

And, no, I’m not talking about the practice of passing bad legislation and hurrying out of town. In this case, it looks like Rep. Mike Murphy — or someone driving his car with legislator’s plates — struck a parked car outside of Ike & Joney’s in downtown Indianapolis before taking off without reporting the collision or leaving insurance information. I’m not a criminal lawyer (and we probably can’t prove Murphy was the driver beyond a reasonable doubt, let alone intoxicated, in any case), but which has the harsher penalties? Knowingly and intentionally leaving the scene of the accident after he was aware of hitting another vehicle; or being intoxicated enough so as to be oblivious to the fact of a collision?