A.Â
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 traffic
laws of the City and all of the State vehicle laws applicable to traffic
in the City.
B.Â
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.Â
Officers
of the Fire Department, when at the scene of an incident, may direct
or assist the Police in directing traffic thereat or in the immediate
vicinity.
No person shall knowingly fail or refuse to comply with any
lawful order or direction of a Police Officer or Fire Department official.
Every person propelling any pushcart 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.Â
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.Â
The
driver of an authorized emergency vehicle may:
1.Â
Park or stand, irrespective of the provisions of this Title;
2.Â
Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing
down as may be necessary for safe operation;
3.Â
Exceed the maximum speed limits so long as he/she does not endanger
life or property; and
4.Â
Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning
in specified directions.
C.Â
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 siren or while having at least one (1) lighted lamp exhibiting a 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 310.080.
D.Â
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.
A.Â
Upon
the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle making use
of audible and visual signals meeting the requirements of the laws
of this State, or of a Police vehicle properly and lawfully making
use of an audible signal only, the driver of every other vehicle shall
yield the right-of-way and shall immediately drive to a position parallel
to, and as close as possible to, the right-hand edge or curb of the
roadway clear of any intersection and shall stop and remain in such
position until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed, except
when otherwise directed by a Police Officer.
B.Â
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 highway.
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 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 an ordinance violation.
The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident within the City
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 give or cause to be given notice of such accident
to the Police Department as soon as reasonably possible.
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.Â
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.Â
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.Â
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.Â
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.