Missouri Laws 577.060 – Leaving the scene of an accident — penalties
1. A person commits the offense of leaving the scene of an accident when:
(1) Being the operator of a vehicle or a vessel involved in an accident resulting in injury or death or damage to property of another person; and
Attorney's Note
Under the Missouri Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class D felony | up to 7 years | up to $10,000 |
| Class E felony | up to 4 years | up to $10,000 |
| Class A misdemeanor | up to 1 year | up to $2,000 |
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 577.060
- All-terrain vehicle: any motorized vehicle manufactured and used exclusively for off-highway use, with an unladen dry weight of one thousand five hundred pounds or less, traveling on three, four or more nonhighway tires, with either:
(a) A seat designed to be straddled by the operator, or with a seat designed to carry more than one person, and handlebars for steering control. See Missouri Laws 577.001
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- following: when used by way of reference to any section of the statutes, mean the section next preceding or next following that in which the reference is made, unless some other section is expressly designated in the reference. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- Property: includes real and personal property. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020
(2) Having knowledge of such accident he or she leaves the place of the injury, damage or accident without stopping and giving the following information to the other party or to a law enforcement officer, or if no law enforcement officer is in the vicinity, then to the nearest law enforcement agency:
(a) His or her name;
(b) His or her residence, including city and street number;
(c) The registration or license number for his or her vehicle or vessel; and
(d) His or her operator’s license number, if any.
2. For the purposes of this section, all law enforcement officers shall have jurisdiction, when invited by an injured person, to enter the premises 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 class A misdemeanor;
(2) A class E felony if:
(a) Physical injury 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 defendant has previously been found guilty 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 class D felony 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 all-terrain vehicle and also involving the loss of life or serious physical injury 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 department of public safety, and keep a record thereof in his or her office.
5. The provisions of this section shall not apply to the operation of all-terrain vehicles when property damage is sustained in sanctioned all-terrain vehicle races, derbies and rallies.