PRINTER'S NO. 2960

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 2167 Session of 1986


        INTRODUCED BY FOX, MAYERNIK AND NAHILL, FEBRUARY 19, 1986

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, FEBRUARY 19, 1986

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
     2     Statutes, further establishing a duty to stop vehicles at
     3     accident scenes; and providing an exception from the duty for
     4     emergency vehicles.

     5     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     6  hereby enacts as follows:
     7     Section 1.  Sections 3742, 3743, 3744 and 3745 of Title 75 of
     8  the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:
     9  § 3742.  Accidents involving death or personal injury.
    10     (a)  General rule.--[The] Except as provided in section 3756
    11  (relating to accidents involving emergency vehicles), the driver
    12  of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury or
    13  death of any person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the
    14  scene of the accident or as close thereto as possible but shall
    15  then forthwith return to and in every event shall remain at the
    16  scene of the accident until he has fulfilled the requirements of
    17  section 3744 (relating to duty to give information and render
    18  aid). Every stop shall be made without obstructing traffic more


     1  than is necessary.
     2     (b)  Penalty.--Any person violating this section is guilty of
     3  a misdemeanor of the third degree.
     4  § 3743.  Accidents involving damage to attended vehicle or
     5             property.
     6     (a)  General rule.--[The] Except as provided in section 3756
     7  (relating to accidents involving emergency vehicles), the driver
     8  of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting only in damage
     9  to a vehicle or other property which is driven or attended by
    10  any person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of
    11  the accident or as close thereto as possible but shall forthwith
    12  return to and in every event shall remain at the scene of the
    13  accident until he has fulfilled the requirements of section 3744
    14  (relating to duty to give information and render aid). Every
    15  stop shall be made without obstructing traffic more than is
    16  necessary.
    17     (b)  Penalty.--Any person violating this section is guilty of
    18  a summary offense, punishable by a fine of $300 or imprisonment
    19  for not more than 90 days, or both.
    20  § 3744.  Duty to give information and render aid.
    21     (a)  General rule.--[The] Except as provided in section 3756
    22  (relating to accidents involving emergency vehicles), the driver
    23  of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or
    24  death of any person or damage to any vehicle or other property
    25  which is driven or attended by any person shall give his name,
    26  address and the registration number of the vehicle he is
    27  driving, and shall upon request exhibit his driver's license and
    28  information relating to financial responsibility to any person
    29  injured in the accident or to the driver or occupant of or
    30  person attending any vehicle or other property damaged in the
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     1  accident and shall give the information and upon request exhibit
     2  the license and information relating to financial responsibility
     3  to any police officer at the scene of the accident or who is
     4  investigating the accident and shall render to any person
     5  injured in the accident reasonable assistance, including the
     6  making of arrangements for the carrying of the injured person to
     7  a physician, surgeon or hospital for medical or surgical
     8  treatment if it is apparent that treatment is necessary or if
     9  requested by the injured person.
    10     (b)  Report of accident to police.--In the event that none of
    11  the persons specified are in condition to receive the
    12  information to which they otherwise would be entitled under
    13  subsection (a) and no police officer is present, the driver of
    14  any vehicle involved in the accident after fulfilling all other
    15  requirements of section 3742 (relating to accidents involving
    16  death or personal injury) and subsection (a), insofar as
    17  possible on his part to be performed, shall forthwith report the
    18  accident to the nearest office of a duly authorized police
    19  department and submit to the police department the information
    20  specified in subsection (a).
    21     (c)  Duty of occupants if driver disabled.--Whenever the
    22  driver of a vehicle is physically unable to give the information
    23  or assistance required in this section and there are other
    24  occupants in the vehicle at the time of the accident who are
    25  physically able to give the information or assistance required
    26  in this section, each of the other occupants shall fully reveal
    27  the identity of himself and the identity of the driver of the
    28  vehicle and of the owner of the vehicle of which they are
    29  occupants and shall otherwise perform the duties of the driver
    30  as set forth in subsection (a).
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     1  § 3745.  Accidents involving damage to unattended vehicle or
     2             property.
     3     (a)  General rule.--[The] Except as provided in section 3756
     4  (relating to accidents involving emergency vehicles), the driver
     5  of any vehicle which collides with or is involved in an accident
     6  with any vehicle or other property which is unattended resulting
     7  in any damage to the other vehicle or property shall immediately
     8  stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close
     9  thereto as possible and shall then and there either locate and
    10  notify the operator or owner of the damaged vehicle or other
    11  property of his name, address, information relating to financial
    12  responsibility and the registration number of the vehicle being
    13  driven or shall attach securely in a conspicuous place in or on
    14  the damaged vehicle or other property a written notice giving
    15  his name, address, information relating to financial
    16  responsibility and the registration number of the vehicle being
    17  driven and shall without unnecessary delay notify the nearest
    18  office of a duly authorized police department. Every stop shall
    19  be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary.
    20     (b)  Penalty.--A violation of this section is a summary
    21  offense, punishable by a fine of not less than $50 nor more than
    22  $300 or imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both.
    23     Section 2.  Title 75 is amended by adding a section to read:
    24  § 3756.  Accidents involving emergency vehicles.
    25     (a)  General rule.--If an emergency vehicle is involved in an
    26  accident when responding to an emergency call or when in pursuit
    27  of an actual or suspected violator of the law, the driver of the
    28  emergency vehicle shall comply with the following provisions:
    29         Section 3742 (relating to accidents involving death or
    30     personal injury).
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     1         Section 3743 (relating to accidents involving damage to
     2     attended vehicle or property).
     3         Section 3744 (relating to duty to give information and
     4     render aid).
     5         Section 3745 (relating to accidents involving damage to
     6     unattended vehicle or property).
     7     (b)  Exception.--The driver may leave the scene of the
     8  accident to proceed with the initial emergency when the
     9  requirements of sections 3742 through 3745 can be fulfilled by a
    10  person acting in behalf of the driver of the emergency vehicle
    11  or by the driver's radio communication with the police, fire,
    12  rescue or similar agency which will respond to the accident.
    13     (c)  Penalty.--A person violating this section commits a
    14  misdemeanor of the third degree.
    15     Section 3.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.










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