Texas Transportation Code for Duties
After an Accident
§ 550.021. ACCIDENT INVOLVING PERSONAL
INJURY OR DEATH.
(a) The operator of a vehicle involved in an accident
resulting in injury to or death of a person shall:
(1) immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close to
the scene as possible;
(2) immediately return to the scene of the accident if the vehicle is not
stopped at the scene of the accident; and
(3) remain at the scene of the accident until the operator complies with the
requirements of Section 550.023.
(b) An operator of a vehicle required to stop the
vehicle by Subsection (a) shall do so without obstructing traffic more than is
necessary.
(c) A person commits an offense if the person does
not stop or does not comply with the requirements of this section. An offense
under this section is punishable by: (1) imprisonment in the institutional
division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for not more than five
years or confinement in the county jail for not more than one year; (2) a fine
not to exceed $5,000; or (3) both the fine and the imprisonment or
confinement.
§ 550.022. ACCIDENT INVOLVING DAMAGE TO
VEHICLE.
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), the
operator of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting only in damage to a
vehicle that is driven or attended by a person shall: (1) immediately stop the
vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close as possible to the scene of
the accident without obstructing traffic more than is necessary; (2)
immediately return to the scene of the accident if the vehicle is not stopped
at the scene of the accident; and (3) remain at the scene of the accident
until the operator complies with the requirements of Section 550.023.
(b) If an accident occurs on a main lane, ramp,
shoulder, median, or adjacent area of a freeway in a metropolitan area and
each vehicle involved can be normally and safely driven, each operator shall
move the operator's vehicle as soon as possible to a designated accident
investigation site, if available, a location on the frontage road, the nearest
suitable cross street, or other suitable location to complete the requirements
of Section 550.023 and minimize interference with freeway traffic.
(c) A person commits an offense if the person does
not stop or does not comply with the requirements of this section. An offense
under this section is: (1) a Class C misdemeanor, if the damage to all
vehicles is less than $200; or (2) a Class B misdemeanor, if the damage to all
vehicles is $200 or more. (d) In this section, a vehicle can be normally and
safely driven only if the vehicle:
(1) does not require towing; and (2) can be operated under its own power and
in its usual manner, without additional damage or hazard to the vehicle, other
traffic, or the roadway.
§ 550.023. DUTY TO GIVE INFORMATION AND
RENDER AID.
The operator of a vehicle involved in an accident
resulting in the injury or death of a person or damage to a vehicle that is
driven or attended by a person shall: (1) give the operator's name and
address, the registration number of the vehicle the operator was driving, and
the name of the operator's motor vehicle liability insurer to any person
injured or the operator or occupant of or person attending a vehicle involved
in the collision; (2) if requested and available, show the operator's driver's
license to a person described by Subdivision (1); and (3) provide any person
injured in the accident reasonable assistance, including transporting or
making arrangements for transporting the person to a physician or hospital for
medical treatment if it is apparent that treatment is necessary, or if the
injured person requests the transportation
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