H. B. 2081
(By Delegate Love)
[Introduced January 19, 1995; referred to the
Committee on Roads and Transportation.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section seven, article four, chapter
seventeen-c of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to increasing the
threshold from two hundred fifty dollars to one thousand
five hundred dollars to warrant an accident report.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section seven, article four, chapter seventeen-c of the
code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 4. ACCIDENTS.
ยง17C-4-7. Written reports of accidents.
(a) The driver or the attorney or agent of such driver of a vehicle involved in an accident occurring on the public highways
of this state resulting in bodily injury to or death of any
person or total property damage to an apparent extent of two
hundred fifty one thousand five hundred dollars or more shall,
within five days after such accident, forward a written report of
such accident to the department of motor vehicles.
(b) The department may require any driver of a vehicle
involved in an accident of which report must be made as provided
in this section to file supplemental reports whenever the
original report is insufficient in the opinion of the department
and may require witnesses of accidents to render reports to the
department.
(c) Every law-enforcement officer who, in the regular course
of duty, investigates a motor vehicle accident of which report
must be made as required in this section, either at the time of
and at the scene of the accident or thereafter by interviewing
participants or witnesses shall, within twenty-four hours after
completing such investigation, forward a written report of such
accident to the department. The department shall prepare a form
for such accident report and, after approval of such form by the commissioner, the superintendent of the department of public
safety and the state road commissioner, shall supply copies of
such form to police departments, sheriffs and other appropriate
law-enforcement agencies. Every accident report required under
the provisions of this subsection (c) shall be made on such form.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to increase the threshold
from $250 to $1500 before an accident is subject to reporting.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.