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.
[Ord. No. 716 §2, 8-20-2007]
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 highway 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. Responsibilities Of Driver Of Emergency Vehicle.
1. The driver of any "emergency vehicle" defined in Section
300.020 of this Code shall not sound the siren thereon or have the front red lights or blue lights on except when such vehicle is responding to an emergency call or when in pursuit of an actual or suspected law violator, or when responding to, but not upon returning from, a fire.
2. The driver of an emergency vehicle may:
a. Park or stand irrespective of the provisions of Sections 304.014
to 304.025, RSMo., and the provisions of this Code;
b. Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing
down as may be necessary for safe operation;
c. Exceed the prima facie speed limit so long as the driver does not
endanger life or property;
d. Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning
in specified directions.
3. The exemptions granted to an emergency vehicle pursuant to Subsection
(B)(2) of this Section shall apply only when the driver of any such 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 or blue light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the front of such vehicle.
D. No
person shall purchase an emergency light as described in this Section
without furnishing the seller of such light an affidavit stating that
the light will be used exclusively for emergency vehicle purposes.
E. Violation
of this Section shall be deemed an ordinance violation.
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 an ordinance violation.
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.