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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
04/19/2024 08:44 AM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20170&cosponId=21439
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House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: December 16, 2016 12:41 PM
From: Representative Tina Pickett
To: All House members
Subject: Hit and Run Legislation (former HB 368)
 
In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation that would, in cases of motor vehicle accidents causing serious injury or death, hold passengers traveling in the vehicle at the time as legally responsible as the driver of that vehicle for reporting the accident to authorities as soon as possible.

My legislation is modeled after similar legislation in New York, known as “Steven’s Law.” Steven Bacon, a former Bradford County resident, age 17, was killed by a hit-and-run driver while cycling in Ashland, N.Y. on March 22, 2007. Bacon’s body was not discovered until the next day because neither the driver of the vehicle nor the passengers in the vehicle reported the accident to police.

Such behavior is unconscionable, committed by individuals devoid of human decency. It is the intent of this legislation to hold equally accountable those passengers who, by their presence in the vehicle, are involved in and knowingly witness a hit-and-run accident involving serious injury or death, yet decline to report the accident to authorities.

Under my legislation, penalties for passengers who fail to report a hit-and-run accident would be the same as those imposed against the driver who is guilty of the same offense:
  • If the victim suffers serious bodily injury, the violation is a felony of the third degree, with a minimum prison term of not less than 90 days, and a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000, notwithstanding any other provision of law.

  • If the victim dies, the violation is a felony of the third degree, with a minimum prison term of not less than one year, and a mandatory minimum fine of $2,500, notwithstanding any other provision of law.

Please join me in cosponsoring this important piece of legislation.
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Introduced as HB279