A.
It shall
be the duty of the officers of the Police Department or such officers
as are assigned by the Chief of Police to enforce all street traffic
laws of the City and all of the State vehicle laws applicable to street
traffic in the City.
B.
Officers
of the Police Department or such officers as are assigned by the Chief
of Police are hereby authorized to direct all traffic by voice, hand,
or signal in conformance with traffic laws; provided that, in the
event of a fire or other emergency or to expedite traffic or to safeguard
pedestrians, officers of the Police Department may direct traffic
as conditions may require notwithstanding the provisions of the traffic
laws.
C.
Officers
of the Fire Department, when at the scene of a fire, may direct or
assist the Police in directing traffic thereat or in the immediate
vicinity.
No person shall willfully fail or refuse to comply with any
lawful order or direction of a Police Officer or Fire Department Official.
Every person propelling any push cart or riding an animal upon
a roadway, and every person driving any animal-drawn vehicle, shall
be subject to the provisions of this Title applicable to the driver
of any vehicle, except those provisions of this Title which by their
very nature can have no application.
No person upon roller skates, or riding in or by means of any
coaster, toy vehicle, or similar device, shall go upon any roadway
except while crossing a street on a crosswalk and when so crossing
such person shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject
to all of the duties applicable to pedestrians. This Section shall
not apply upon any street while set aside as a play street as authorized
by ordinance of the City.
The provisions of this Title shall apply to the driver of any
vehicle owned by or used in the service of the United States Government,
this State, County, or City and it shall be unlawful for any said
driver to violate any of the provisions of this Title, except as otherwise
permitted in this Title.
A.
The driver
of an authorized emergency vehicle, when responding to an emergency
call or when in the pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of
the law or when responding to but not upon returning from a fire alarm,
may exercise the privileges set forth in this Section, but subject
to the conditions herein stated.
B.
The driver
of an authorized emergency vehicle may:
1.
Park
or stand, irrespective of the provisions of this Title;
2.
Proceed
past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down
as may be necessary for safe operation;
3.
Exceed
the maximum speed limits so long as he/she does not endanger life
or property; and
4.
Disregard
regulations governing direction of movement or turning in specified
directions.
C.
The exemptions
herein granted to an authorized emergency vehicle shall apply only
when the driver of any said vehicle while in motion sounds audible
signal by bell, siren, or exhaust whistle as may be reasonably necessary,
and when the vehicle is equipped with at least one (1) lighted lamp
displaying a red light visible under normal atmospheric conditions
from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the front of such vehicle.
D.
The foregoing
provisions shall not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency
vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all
persons, nor shall such provisions protect the driver from the consequences
of his/her reckless disregard for the safety of others.
[Ord. No. 2006-1505 §1, 5-16-2006]
A.
Upon
the immediate approach of an emergency vehicle giving audible signal
by siren or while having at least one (1) lighted lamp exhibiting
red light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance
of five hundred (500) feet to the front of such vehicle or a flashing
blue light authorized by Section 307.175, RSMo., the driver of every
other vehicle shall yield the right-of-way and shall immediately drive
to a position parallel to, and as far as possible to the right of,
the traveled portion of the roadway and thereupon stop and remain
in such position until such emergency vehicle has passed, except when
otherwise directed by a Police or traffic officer.
B.
Upon
approaching a stationary emergency vehicle displaying lighted red
or red and blue lights, the driver of every motor vehicle shall:
1.
Proceed
with caution and yield the right-of-way, if possible, with due regard
to safety and traffic conditions, by making a lane change into a lane
not adjacent to that of the stationary vehicle, if on a roadway having
at least four (4) lanes with not less than two (2) lanes proceeding
in the same direction as the approaching vehicle; or
2.
Proceed
with due caution and reduce the speed of the vehicle, maintaining
a safe speed for road conditions, if changing lanes would be unsafe
or impossible.
C.
This
Section shall not operate to relieve the driver of an authorized emergency
vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all
persons using the roadway.
Motor vehicles and equipment, not otherwise defined in this
Title as an authorized emergency vehicle, which are operated by any
member of an organized Fire Department, ambulance association, or
rescue squad, whether paid or volunteer, may be operated on streets
and highways in this City as an emergency vehicle under the provisions
of Section 304.022, RSMo., while responding to a fire call or ambulance
call or at the scene of a fire call or ambulance call and while using
or sounding a warning siren and while using or displaying thereon
fixed, flashing or rotating blue lights, but sirens and blue lights
shall be used only in bona fide emergencies. Permits for the operation
of such vehicles equipped with sirens or blue lights shall be in writing
and shall be issued and may be revoked by the Chief of an organized
Fire Department, organized ambulance association, or rescue squad
and no person shall use or display a siren or rotating blue lights
on a motor vehicle, fire, ambulance, or rescue equipment without a
valid permit authorizing the use. Permit to use a siren or lights
as heretofore set out does not relieve the operator of the vehicle
so equipped with complying with all other traffic laws and regulations.
Violation of this Section constitutes a misdemeanor.
The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in
injury to or death of any person or total property damage to an apparent
extent of five hundred dollars ($500.00) or more to one (1) person
shall immediately by the quickest means of communication give notice
of such accident to the Police Department if such accident occurs
within the City.
The driver of a vehicle which is in any manner involved in an
accident resulting in bodily injury to or death of any person or total
property damage to an apparent extent of five hundred dollars ($500.00)
or more to one (1) person shall, within five (5) days after such accident,
forward a written report of such accident to the Police Department.
The provisions of this Section shall not be applicable when the accident
has been investigated at the scene by a Police Officer while such
driver was present thereat.
A.
Whenever the driver of a vehicle is physically incapable of giving immediate notice of an accident as required in Section 310.090 and there was another occupant in the vehicle at the time of the accident capable of doing so, such occupant shall give, or cause to be given, the notice not given by the driver.
B.
Whenever the driver is physically incapable of making a written report of an accident as required in Section 310.100 and such driver is not the owner of the vehicle, then the owner of the vehicle involved in such accident shall within five (5) days after the accident make such report not made by the driver.
A.
All written
reports made by persons involved in accidents or by garages shall
be without prejudice to the individual so reporting and shall be for
the confidential use of the Police Department or other governmental
agencies having use for the records for accident prevention purposes,
except that the Police Department or other governmental agency may
disclose the identity of a person involved in an accident when such
identity is not otherwise known or when such person denies his/her
presence at such accident.
B.
No written
reports forwarded under the provisions of this Section shall be used
as evidence in any trial, civil or criminal, arising out of an accident
except that the Police Department shall furnish upon demand of any
party to such trial, or upon demand of any court, a certificate showing
that a specified accident report has or has not been made to the Department
in compliance with law, and if such report has been made, the date,
time and location of the accident, the names and addresses of the
drivers, the owners of the vehicles involved, and the investigating
officers.
A.
A person
commits the offense of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident
when being the operator or driver of a vehicle on the highways, streets
or roads of the City or on any publicly or privately owned parking
lot or parking facility, within the City, generally open for use by
the public and knowing that an injury has been caused to a person
or damage has been caused to property, due to his/her culpability
or to accident, he/she leaves the place of the injury, damage or accident
without stopping and giving his/her name, residence, including City
and street number, motor vehicle number and driver's license number,
if any, to the injured party or to a Police Officer, or if no Police
Officer is in the vicinity, then to the nearest Police Station or
judicial officer.
B.
For the
purposes of this Section, all Peace Officers shall have jurisdiction,
when invited by an injured person, to enter the premises of any such
privately owned parking lot or parking facility for the purpose of
investigating an accident and performing all necessary duties regarding
such accident.