There are numerous instances where a person charged with a crime tries to conceal evidence because they believe they have been wrongly accused. In their effort to get themselves out of trouble, they make several mistakes that increase the number of federal court charges against them.

For instance, Peterson shouldn’t have fled the scene after ramming into the golf cart with his truck. He should have stayed calm, called his lawyer, and waited for the police to determine the matter. In any case, the cart had not been badly damaged. The worst-case scenario would have been a brief arrest, where Peterson could have been released a few hours later using a bail bond. Bailbonds are a form of surety that people being convicted of a crime pay as a promise to attend a court trial.

The other mistake is to talk to the police about an incident. If you are likely to face a criminal charge for something you did, it’s best to abstain from talking with the police, as everything you say is used against you in court. The best thing to do is call your lawyer because they know all about criminal justice and can help you navigate the legal system more clearly.

Golf courses have used golf carts for patrons to rent and utilize on the course and while they aren’t full-scale vehicles you can still be charged with leaving the scene of an accident if you hit one. A man from Sparta Township, New Jersey is finding that out as he has been charged with multiple crimes after he drove his truck into a golf cart earlier this month, according to the New Jersey news source, NJ.com.

On October 14 Sparta police responded to a call at Skyview Golf Club involving five golfers alleged to be intoxicated and who were refusing to leave the course at the request of the establishment. Four of the men left, but Keith Peterson, 57, stayed behind and confronted the golf course employee who had asked them to leave.

The employee was sitting in one of the courses refurbished golf carts awaiting police when Peterson drove up to him and started arguing. At this time Peterson allegedly rammed into the golf cart with his truck propelling the employee out of it and then fled the scene. Luckily for Peterson no significant damage was done to the employee or golf cart as that could have led to even more criminal charges and restitution for the piece of equipment that can range between $3,000 and $30,000. Police eventually tracked down Peterson later on at his Sparta home.

There he told police officers he did hit the cart, but didn’t think it counted as a motor vehicle accident that had to be reported. Apparently, even though they can only reach max speeds of 15 to 25 miles per hour, they do. In some states they are even legally allowed to operate on roads where the posted speed limit is 35 mph or less. He then tried to flee from the police when they tried to arrest him, but didn’t get far.

Peterson now faces charges of assault by auto and resisting arrest and issued motor vehicle summonses for reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to report an accident and improper parking in connection with the incident, according to Sparta police Sgt. Dennis Proctor. His court date is still yet to be determined.