ENGROSSED
Senate Bill No. 221
(By Senators Ross, Anderson, Helmick, Ball and Sharpe)
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[Introduced January 26, 1999;
referred to the Committee on Transportation.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact sections six and seven, article four,
chapter seventeen-c of the code of West Virginia, one
thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, all relating
to revising accident reporting requirements.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That sections six and seven, article four, chapter
seventeen-c of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted, all to
read as follows:
ARTICLE 4. ACCIDENTS.
§17C-4-6. Immediate reports of accidents.
The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in
injury to or death of any person or total property damage to an apparent extent of two sevenfive hundred fifty dollars or more shall
immediately by the quickest means of communication, whether oral
or written, give notice of such accident to the local police
department if such accident occurs within a municipality,
otherwise to the office of the county sheriff or the nearest
office of the West Virginia state police.
§17C-4-7. Written reports of accidents.
Every law-enforcement officer who, in the regular course of
duty, investigates a motor vehicle 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 fiveseven hundred fifty dollars or more shall, 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 division. The division shall
prepare a form for such accident report and, after approval of
such form by the commissioner, the superintendent of the West Virginia state police and the commissioner of highways, 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 section shall be
made on such form.
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(NOTE: This bill increases from $250 to $750 the threshold
of apparent property damage in a motor vehicle accident requiring
drivers of motor vehicles to make an immediate report to the
nearest law-enforcement agency, and requiring law-enforcement
officers investigating the accidents to forward written reports
to the division of motor vehicles.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.)