Substitute House Bill No. 5262
AN ACT CONCERNING THE IMPOUNDMENT OF VEHICLES USED FOR ILLEGAL STREET RACING.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 14-224 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2009):
(a) Each person operating a motor vehicle who is knowingly involved in an accident which causes serious physical injury, as defined in section 53a-3, to or results in the death of any other person shall at once stop and render such assistance as may be needed and shall give his name, address and operator's license number and registration number to the person injured or to any officer or witness to the death or serious physical injury of any person, and if such operator of the motor vehicle causing the death or serious physical injury of any person is unable to give his name, address and operator's license number and registration number to the person injured or to any witness or officer, for any reason or cause, such operator shall immediately report such death or serious physical injury of any person to a police officer, a constable, a state police officer or an inspector of motor vehicles or at the nearest police precinct or station, and shall state in such report the location and circumstances of the accident causing the death or serious physical injury of any person and his name, address, operator's license number and registration number.
(b) Each person operating a motor vehicle who is knowingly involved in an accident which causes physical injury, as defined in section 53a-3, to any other person or injury or damage to property shall at once stop and render such assistance as may be needed and shall give his name, address and operator's license number and registration number to the person injured or to the owner of the injured or damaged property, or to any officer or witness to the physical injury to person or injury or damage to property, and if such operator of the motor vehicle causing the physical injury of any person or injury or damage to any property is unable to give his name, address and operator's license number and registration number to the person injured or the owner of the property injured or damaged, or to any witness or officer, for any reason or cause, such operator shall immediately report such physical injury of any person or injury or damage to property to a police officer, a constable, a state police officer or an inspector of motor vehicles or at the nearest police precinct or station, and shall state in such report the location and circumstances of the accident causing the physical injury of any person or the injury or damage to property and his name, address, operator's license number and registration number.
(c) (1) No person shall operate a motor vehicle upon any public highway for a wager or for any race or for the purpose of making a speed record.
(2) No person shall (A) possess a motor vehicle under circumstances manifesting an intent that it be used in a race or event prohibited under subdivision (1) of this subsection, (B) act as a starter, timekeeper, judge or spectator at a race or event prohibited under subdivision (1) of this subsection, or (C) wager on the outcome of a race or event prohibited under subdivision (1) of this subsection.
(d) Each person operating a motor vehicle who is knowingly involved in an accident on a limited access highway which causes damage to property only shall immediately move or cause his motor vehicle to be moved from the traveled portion of the highway to an untraveled area which is adjacent to the accident site if it is possible to move the motor vehicle without risk of further damage to property or injury to any person.
(e) No person who acts in accordance with the provisions of subsection (d) of this section may be considered to have violated subsection (b) of this section.
(f) Any person who violates the provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall be fined not more than ten thousand dollars or be imprisoned not less than one year nor more than ten years or be both fined and imprisoned.
(g) Any person who violates the provisions of subsection (b) or (c) of this section shall be fined not less than seventy-five dollars nor more than six hundred dollars or be imprisoned not more than one year or be both fined and imprisoned, and for any subsequent offense shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than one year or be both fined and imprisoned.
(h) In addition to any penalty imposed pursuant to subsection (g) of this section: (1) If any person is convicted of a violation of subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section and the motor vehicle being operated by such person at the time of the violation is registered to such person, the court may order such motor vehicle to be impounded for not more than thirty days and such person shall be responsible for any fees or costs resulting from such impoundment; or (2) if any person is convicted of a violation of subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section and the motor vehicle being operated by such person at the time of the violation is not registered to such person, the court may fine such person not more than two thousand dollars, and for any subsequent offense may fine such person not more than three thousand dollars.
Approved June 9, 2009