2009 Connecticut Code
Title 14 Motor Vehicles. Use of the Highway By Vehicles. Gasoline
Chapter 248 Vehicle Highway Use
Sec. 14-224. Evasion of responsibility in operation of motor vehicles. Racing. Required removal of motor vehicle from traveled portion of highway.

      Sec. 14-224. Evasion of responsibility in operation of motor vehicles. Racing. Required removal of motor vehicle from traveled portion of highway. (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.

      (1949 Rev., S. 2410; September, 1957, P.A. 11, S. 8; P.A. 81-268, S. 2; P.A. 82-472, S. 45, 183; P.A. 83-135; 83-534, S. 10; P.A. 94-188, S. 9; P.A. 97-291, S. 3, 5; P.A. 06-173, S. 2.)

      History: P.A. 81-268 amended Subsec. (c) by increasing the minimum fine from $50 to $75 and the maximum fine from $100 to $200 for first offenses, and increasing the maximum fine for subsequent offenses from $200 to $600; P.A. 82-472 made a technical correction; P.A. 83-135 amended Subsec. (c) by increasing the maximum fine from $200 to $600 for a first offense and from $600 to $1,000 for a subsequent offense; P.A. 83-534 inserted new Subsecs. (a) and (d) re evading responsibility in an accident causing serious physical injury or death and the penalty therefor, redesignated the former Subsecs. and limited the former provisions re evading responsibility to accidents causing "physical injury as defined in section 53a-3" or injury or damage to property; P.A. 94-188 inserted new Subsecs. (d) and (e) re removal of vehicle from traveled portion of highway and redesignated the former Subsecs. (d) and (e) as (f) and (g); P.A. 97-291 amended Subsec. (f) to increase the maximum fine from $5,000 to $10,000 and the maximum term of imprisonment from 5 to 10 years; P.A. 06-173 amended Subsec. (c) to designate existing provision as Subdiv. (1) and add Subdiv. (2) prohibiting a person possessing a motor vehicle under circumstances manifesting an intent that it be used in a race or event prohibited under Subdiv. (1), acting as a starter, timekeeper, judge or spectator at such a race or event or wagering on the outcome of such a race or event.

      See Secs. 14-107 re liability of owner, operator or lessee of vehicle.

      See Sec. 14-111(b), (h), (k) re suspension or revocation of operator's license.

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

      See Sec. 14-112(a) re proof of financial responsibility.

      See Sec. 14-226 re required reporting of injury to dog.

      Failure to stop and assist is not actionable negligence. 123 C. 609. Cited. 136 C. 264. Cited. 145 C. 709. Cited. 203 C. 305. Cited. 219 C. 371. Cited. 227 C. 534. Cited. 240 C. 639.

      Cited. 13 CA 638. Cited. 26 CA 145. Cited. 36 CA 710. Cited. 38 CA 685. Cited. 42 CA 460.

      Charge of evading responsibility dismissed where it could not be ascertained whether pedestrian was dead or alive at time of impact. 18 CS 367. To be convicted defendant must have been knowingly involved in an accident, and accident must have involved injury to some person other than defendant or damage to property other than his. 22 CS 317. Cited. Id., 361, 386. Only intention necessary for violation of this section is the doing of the acts prohibited. 23 CS 284. Cited. Id., 413, 421. An error in judgment or lack of intention is not an excuse for failure to follow the directives of the statute. 24 CS 374. Cited. Id., 397. Cited. 32 CS 650.

      Cited. 2 Conn. Cir. Ct. 19. Even with no communication between the parties, circumstances can indicate a competitive trial of speed where a conviction of racing will lie. Id., 75. If operator knew there was an accident, it is immaterial that he believed no damage resulted. Id., 236. Cited. Id., 503; Id., 588. An error in judgment or lack of intention is not an excuse for failure to follow the directives and mandates of the statute. 3 Conn. Cir. Ct. 101. Where defendant who was involved in automobile accident stopped his car but failed to give the required information it was not error to find him guilty of evading responsibility and whether he was at fault is irrelevant. Id. Cited. Id., 229. Knowledge of damage caused by accident is not an element within terms of the statute. It is enough for state to prove defendant was knowingly involved in the accident and the accident caused damage to person or property of another. Id., 304, 305. To comply with this statute defendant must, after the accident, render such assistance as is needed and give his operator's license and registration numbers, as well as his name and address, to the other driver. Id., 305, 306. Cited. Id., 353; Id., 461 (fn 1). Cited. 4 Conn. Cir. Ct. 408. History of statute reviewed; intent is to punish evasion of responsibility whether accident occurs on private property or public highway. Id., 495. Statute applied where accident occurred in service station. Id. Defendant's admission he struck a living object he thought to be a dog and had not stopped established his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in absence of other evidence. 5 Conn. Cir. Ct. 316. When violation of this section occurred, Sec. 14-107 made proof of registration in defendant's name of car involved prima facie evidence that he was operator and trial court could conclude defendant's unsupported alibi did not rebut presumption statute created. Id., 561. Slight damage to plaintiff's car was sufficient where the elements also existed to sustain defendant's conviction for evading responsibility. 6 Conn. Cir. Ct. 6. Defendant properly arrested in another precinct two hours after violation of this section where local officer acted on speedy information of two witnesses. Id., 55.

      Subsec. (a):

      Cited. 222 C. 672.

      Cited. 12 CA 294. Cited. 22 CA 142. Cited. 45 CA 303. No authority for defendant's argument that court is required to charge the jury that compliance with remaining duties of Subsec. are legally excused if defendant was arrested by police while trying to render such assistance as defendant deemed reasonably necessary. 99 CA 233.

      Subsec. (b):

      Cited. 154 C. 23. Cited. 176 C. 451. Cited. 224 C. 911. Court concluded that to establish a violation of the statute the state is not required to prove the defendant knew that the accident in which he was involved caused injury or damage to property. 227 C. 534. Cited. 234 C. 301.

      Cited. 28 CA 708. Cited. 45 CA 303. Whether defendant has knowledge that an accident caused injury or damage is irrelevant to crime of evading responsibility; rather, it is a mandatory stop, ascertain and assist statute which provides criminal penalties for the failure to do so. After proving that defendant was knowingly involved in an accident, further proof that defendant failed to stop at the scene would be sufficient to support conviction under statute. 88 CA 90. Defendant, despite initially assisting injured passenger in his vehicle after hitting a telephone pole, did not render assistance as required by Subsec. because he then ran away from the accident scene, leaving the passenger in the car, and failed to call police or other emergency personnel. 107 CA 717.

      Although a race involves a trial of speed, a person can be found guilty of racing but not guilty of speeding. 24 CS 59. Total strangers can race on the spur of the moment. Id.

      Subsec. (d):

      Cited. 222 C. 672.

      Cited. 9 CA 686.

      Subsec. (e):

      Cited. 9 CA 686.