Leaving the scene of an accident
If someone is driving a car or boat and gets into an accident that hurts someone, kills someone, or damages another person's property, that person has to stop and share their name, address, vehicle or boat registration number, and driver's license number with the other party or police. If a person drives away without doing that, it is a crime. The crime is more serious if someone was hurt, if property damage is over $1,000, if the person has done this before, or if someone died.
Classifications stated in the statute. Actual outcomes vary.
577.060. Leaving the scene of an accident — penalties. — 1. A person commits the of leaving the scene of an accident when:
(1) Being the of a vehicle or a involved in an accident resulting in injury or death or damage to property of another person; and
(2) Having knowledge of such accident he or she leaves the place of the injury, damage or accident without stopping and giving the following to the other or to a , or if no law enforcement officer is in the vicinity, then to the nearest :
(a) His or her name;
(b) His or her residence, including city and street number;
(c) The or number for his or her vehicle or vessel; and
(d) His or her , if any.
2. For the purposes of this section, all law enforcement officers shall have , when invited by an injured person, to enter the of any privately owned property for the purpose of investigating an accident and performing all necessary duties regarding such accident.
3. The offense of leaving the scene of an accident is:
(1) A ;
(2) A if:
(a) was caused to another party; or
(b) Damage in excess of one thousand dollars was caused to the property of another person; or
(c) The has previously been of any offense in violation of this section; or committed in another jurisdiction which, if committed in this state, would be a violation of an offense of this section; or
(3) A if a death has occurred as a result of the accident.
4. A law enforcement officer who investigates or receives information of an accident involving an and also involving the loss of life or shall make a written report of the investigation or information received and such additional facts relating to the accident as may come to his or her knowledge, mail the information to the of public safety, and keep a thereof in his or her office.
5. The of this section shall not apply to the operation of all-terrain vehicles when property damage is in all-terrain vehicle races, derbies and rallies.
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Source & history notes
(L. 1977 S.B. 60, A.L. 1983 H.B. 287, A.L. 1986 S.B. 450, A.L. 1989 1st Ex. Sess. H.B. 3, A.L. 2014 S.B. 491, A.L. 2016 H.B. 2332, A.L. 2017 S.B. 34)
Legal information, not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source at revisor.mo.gov.