4162 - 62 Amend 4549.02 - Hit-skip statute

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RESOLUTION REQUESTING A/viENDMENT OF SECTION 4549.02 OHIO REVISED CODE WHEREAS, the deficiencies of Section 4549.02 of the Revised code, commonly referred to as the Hit-skip Statute, make it difficult for the police department of this and all other muni- cipalities of Ohio to ascertain the identit~ of persons causing accidents and to maintain an adequate standard of traffic law enforcement, and WHEREAS, under the provisions of this statute, the hit-skip operator, without disobeying this statute is almost always able to leave the scene of the accident without disclosing his identity, and WHEREAS, There is nothing in this law making it the duty of a motorist involved in an accident to leave his name and other pertinent information upon an unattended damaged vehicle or upon the person of a dead or unconscious victim of an accident, or to render first aid even though such first aid would save a life, or to report the accident to the police department or other appro- priate enforcement officials even though someone has been killled, rendered unconscious or injured, or an unattended vehicle has been damaged, and WHEREAS, under the laws of all other states, as well as the provisions of the Uniform Vehicle Act from which have come the~ laws of the other states, a motor vehicle operator involved in! an accident and having knowledge thereof is required to stop and (1) give his name to any' person injured or whose automobile has been demaged~ (2) leave his name, address, etc., on any unattended vehicle damaged in the accident; (3) exhibit his driver's license to anyone requesting to see the same; (4) render any necessary first aid~ (5) report such accident to the appropriate law enforce- ment organization, and WHEREAS, the Ohio so-called Hit-Skip Law contains none of these provisions and, in effect, requires only that the operatOr shall briefly stop and give his name, address, etc., only if some person, availing himself of the earliest opportunity to do so, requests the same, and WHEREAS, any injured person or the operator of a damaged vehicle does not automatically call out, "Give me your name and address", immediately after the accident, because at this moment he is interested primarily in the extent of his injuries and obtaining medical care, or in ascertaining the extent of damage to his motor vehicle. He assumes (1) that the other party will give his name without being asked and (2) that the Ohio law