Accidents

§ 600. Leaving  scene  of  an  incident without reporting.

1. Property damage.

    a. Any person operating a motor vehicle who, knowing  or  having cause to know that damage has been caused to the real property or to the personal property, not including animals, of another, due to an incident involving  the  motor  vehicle  operated  by  such  person shall, before leaving the place where the damage occurred, stop, exhibit  his  or  her license  and  insurance  identification card for such vehicle, when such card is required pursuant to articles six and eight of this chapter, and give his or her name, residence, including street and number,  insurance carrier  and  insurance  identification  information  including  but not limited to the number and effective dates of said individual's insurance policy, and license number to the party sustaining  the  damage,  or  in case  the person sustaining the damage is not present at the place where the damage occurred then he or she shall report  the  same  as  soon  as physically able to the nearest police station, or judicial officer.

    b.  It shall be the duty of any member of a law enforcement agency who is at the scene  of  the  accident  to  request  the  said  operator  or operators of the motor vehicles, when physically capable of doing so, to exchange  the  information required hereinabove and such member of a law enforcement agency shall assist such operator  or  operators  in  making such exchange of information in a reasonable and harmonious manner.

    A violation of the provisions of paragraph a of this subdivision shall constitute  a  traffic  infraction  punishable  by  a  fine of up to two hundred fifty dollars or a sentence of imprisonment for  up  to  fifteen days or both such fine and imprisonment.

  a.  Any  person  operating  a motor vehicle who, knowing or having cause to know that personal injury has been caused  to another  person, due to an incident involving the motor vehicle operated by such person shall, before leaving the place where the  said  personal injury  occurred,  stop,  exhibit  his  or  her  license  and  insurance identification card  for  such  vehicle,  when  such  card  is  required pursuant  to articles six and eight of this chapter, and give his or her name, residence, including street and street number,  insurance  carrier and  insurance  identification  information including but not limited to the number and effective dates of said individual's insurance policy and license number, to the injured party, if practical, and also to a police officer, or in the event that no police officer is in  the  vicinity  of the  place of said injury, then, he or she shall report said incident as soon as physically able  to  the  nearest  police  station  or  judicial officer.

    c.  A  violation  of the provisions of paragraph a of this subdivision resulting solely from the failure of an operator to exhibit his  or  her license  and  insurance  identification card for the vehicle or exchange the information required in such paragraph shall constitute  a  class  B misdemeanor  punishable by a fine of not less than two hundred fifty nor more than five hundred  dollars  in  addition  to  any  other  penalties provided  by law. Any subsequent such violation shall constitute a class A misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less  than  five  hundred  nor more  than  one  thousand  dollars  in  addition  to any other penalties provided by law. Any violation of the provisions of paragraph a of  this subdivision,  other  than for the mere failure of an operator to exhibit his or her license and insurance identification card for such vehicle or exchange the information required in such paragraph, shall constitute  a class  A misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars  in  addition  to  any  other penalties  provided  by  law.  Any  such violation committed by a person after such person has previously been  convicted  of  such  a  violation shall constitute a class E felony, punishable by a fine of not less than one thousand nor more than two thousand five hundred dollars in addition to  any other penalties provided by law. Any violation of the provisions of paragraph a of this subdivision, other than for the mere  failure  of an  operator  to exhibit his or her license and insurance identification card for such vehicle or  exchange  the  information  required  in  such paragraph,  where  the  personal  injury involved (i) results in serious physical injury, as defined in section 10.00 of  the  penal  law,  shall constitute  a  class E felony, punishable by a fine of not less than one thousand nor more than five thousand dollars in addition  to  any  other penalties  provided  by law, or (ii) results in death shall constitute a class D felony punishable by a fine of not less than  two  thousand  nor more  than  five  thousand  dollars  in  addition to any other penalties provided by law.

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