PRINTER'S NO. 528
No. 491 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY GREENLEAF, COSTA, LEMMOND, LOGAN, ERICKSON, WAUGH
AND WOZNIAK, MARCH 14, 2003
REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION, MARCH 14, 2003
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
2 Statutes, further providing for accidents involving death or
3 personal injury and for accidents involving damage to
4 attended vehicle or property; and providing for leaving scene
5 of accident.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Sections 3742(a) and 3743 of Title 75 of the
9 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:
10 § 3742. Accidents involving death or personal injury.
11 (a) General rule.--[The] Except as otherwise provided in
12 section 3743.1 (relating to leaving scene of accident), the
13 driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in
14 injury or death of any person shall immediately stop the vehicle
15 at the scene of the accident or as close thereto as possible but
16 shall then forthwith return to and in every event shall remain
17 at the scene of the accident until he has fulfilled the
18 requirements of section 3744 (relating to duty to give
19 information and render aid). Every stop shall be made without
1 obstructing traffic more than is necessary.
2 * * *
3 § 3743. Accidents involving damage to attended vehicle or
4 property.
5 (a) General rule.--[The] Except as otherwise provided in
6 section 3743.1 (relating to leaving scene of accident), the
7 driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting only in
8 damage to a vehicle or other property which is driven or
9 attended by any person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the
10 scene of the accident or as close thereto as possible but shall
11 forthwith return to and in every event shall remain at the scene
12 of the accident until he has fulfilled the requirements of
13 section 3744 (relating to duty to give information and render
14 aid). Every stop shall be made without obstructing traffic more
15 than is necessary.
16 (b) Penalty.--Any person violating this section commits a
17 misdemeanor of the third degree, punishable by a fine of $2,500
18 or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.
19 Section 2. Title 75 is amended by adding a section to read:
20 § 3743.1. Leaving scene of accident.
21 (a) General rule.--If the driver of a vehicle involved in an
22 accident subject to the provisions of section 3742 (relating to
23 accidents involving death or personal injury) or 3743 (relating
24 to accidents involving damage to attended vehicle or property)
25 is in reasonable fear of his safety or the safety of his
26 passengers, the driver shall not remain at the scene of the
27 accident but shall immediately report the accident to the
28 nearest office of a duly authorized police department and shall
29 submit to the police department the information specified in
30 section 3744 (relating to duty to give information and render
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1 aid). The driver shall report the accident by telephone or in
2 person to the nearest police department as soon as safely
3 possible after the accident.
4 (b) Penalty.--A person who leaves the scene of an accident
5 under this section but who fails to report the accident to a
6 police department as soon as safely possible commits a summary
7 offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine
8 of $300 or to imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both.
9 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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