2011 Connecticut Code
Title 14 Motor Vehicles. Use of the Highway By Vehicles. Gasoline
Chapter 248 Vehicle Highway Use
Sec. 14-223. Failing to stop when signaled or disobeying direction of officer. Increasing speed in attempt to escape or elude officer.

      Sec. 14-223. Failing to stop when signaled or disobeying direction of officer. Increasing speed in attempt to escape or elude officer. (a) Whenever the operator of any motor vehicle fails promptly to bring his motor vehicle to a full stop upon the signal of any officer in uniform or prominently displaying the badge of his office, or disobeys the direction of such officer with relation to the operation of his motor vehicle, he shall be deemed to have committed an infraction and be fined fifty dollars.

      (b) No person operating a motor vehicle, when signaled to stop by an officer in a police vehicle using an audible signal device or flashing or revolving lights, shall increase the speed of the motor vehicle in an attempt to escape or elude such police officer. Any person who violates this subsection shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor, except that, if such violation causes the death or serious physical injury, as defined in section 53a-3, of another person, such person shall be guilty of a class C felony, and shall have such person's motor vehicle operator's license suspended for one year for the first offense, except that the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may, after a hearing, as provided for in subsection (k) of section 14-111, and upon a showing of compelling mitigating circumstances, reinstate such person's license before the expiration of such one-year period. For any subsequent offense such person shall be guilty of a class C felony, except that if any prior offense by such person under this subsection caused, and such subsequent offense causes, the death or serious physical injury, as defined in section 53a-3, of another person, such person shall be guilty of a class C felony for which one year of the sentence imposed may not be suspended or reduced by the court, and shall have such person's motor vehicle operator's license suspended for not less than eighteen months nor more than two years, except that said commissioner may, after a hearing, as provided for in subsection (k) of section 14-111, and upon a showing of compelling mitigating circumstances, reinstate such person's license before such period.

      (1949 Rev., S. 2409; P.A. 78-372, S. 3, 7; P.A. 82-189; 82-223, S. 15; P.A. 83-577, S. 21; P.A. 96-99; P.A. 99-171, S. 4, 5; P.A. 09-191, S. 1; P.A. 10-3, S. 62.)

      History: P.A. 78-372 added Subsec. (b) re attempts to elude police vehicles; P.A. 82-189 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting the reference to intentional disregard and endangerment and increasing the minimum penalties from a minimum fine of $100 to $500 and a minimum license suspension from two months to one year for a first offense and a minimum fine from $500 to $1,000 and a minimum license suspension from six to eighteen months for a subsequent offense; P.A. 82-223 amended Subsec. (a) by specifying that the commission of a first offense constituted an infraction, changing the fine from not less than $5 nor more than $25 to $25 for a first offense, and increasing the minimum fine for a subsequent offense from $10 to $25; P.A. 83-577 amended Subsec. (a) by increasing the fine for a first offense from $25 to $35 and the minimum fine for a subsequent offense from $25 to $35; P.A. 96-99 amended Subsec. (b) by increasing the maximum fine from $1,000 to $2,000 and establishing a term of imprisonment of not more than one year for a first offense and by establishing a term of imprisonment of not less than one year nor more than five years for a subsequent offense; P.A. 99-171 amended Subsec. (b) by making a violation of this section a class A misdemeanor and deleting specific fine limits and prison terms, by increasing the penalty for violation of this section when such violation causes death or serious injury, by providing for an additional penalty when there is more than one violation of this section causing death or serious injury, and by making technical changes, effective January 1, 2000; P.A. 09-191 amended Subsec. (b) to increase from a class D felony to a class C felony the penalty for first offense that causes death or serious physical injury, increase from a class D felony to a class C felony the penalty for any subsequent offense and increase from a class D felony with a 1-year mandatory minimum sentence to a class C felony with a 1-year mandatory minimum sentence the penalty for any subsequent offense that causes death or serious physical injury where prior offense also caused death or serious physical injury; P.A. 10-3 amended Subsec. (a) to replace fine of $35 for first offense and not less than $35 nor more than $50 for subsequent offense with fine of $50, effective April 14, 2010.

      See Sec. 14-111g re operator's retraining program.

      Cited. 4 Conn. Cir. Ct. 385.

      Subsec. (b):

      Cited. 202 C. 629. Cited. 222 C. 444.

      Cited. 33 CA 49. Cited. 40 CA 762. Sec. 53a-57(a) and this subsec. contain multiple elements that are dissimilar, and the clear language of the statutes themselves is sufficient for a conclusion that they do not impose two punishments for the same act. 84 CA 351.