The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury or death of any person or damage to the vehicle to the extent that it cannot be normally and safely driven shall immediately, by the quickest means of communication, either verbal or written, give notice of such accident to the police department, if such accident occurs within the city.
(1965 Code, sec. 18-15; 1989 Code, sec. 17-41)
A peace officer notified of a motor vehicle accident resulting in injury to or death of any person or damage to the property of any one person to an apparent extent of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) or more may investigate the accident and file any justifiable charges relating thereto without regard to whether the accident occurred on a public street or highway or other public property, on a road owned and controlled by any water control and improvement district, whether or not a fee is charged for the use of the road, or on private property commonly used by the public such as supermarket or shopping center parking lots, parking areas provided by business establishments for the convenience of their customers, clients, or patrons, parking lots owned and operated by the state, or any other parking area owned and operated for the convenience of and commonly used by the public. It is specifically provided, however, that this section shall not apply to accidents occurring on privately owned residential parking areas or on privately owned parking lots where a fee is charged for the privilege of parking or storing a motor vehicle.
(1989 Code, sec. 17-42)
(a) 
The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident within the city not investigated by a law enforcement officer, and resulting in injury to or death of any person or damage to the property of any one (1) person, including himself or herself, to an apparent extent of at least two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00), shall within ten (10) days after such accident forward a written report of such accident to the city and the state department of public safety. Any person who shall fail to make such a report shall be guilty of a violation and upon conviction shall be punished as provided in V.T.C.A., Transportation Code, section 542.401. The venue for the prosecution of such offense shall be in the county where the accident occurred.
(b) 
Every police officer who, in the regular course of duty, investigates a motor vehicle accident resulting in injury to or death of any person, or damage to the property of any one person to an apparent extent of at least two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00), either at the time of and at the scene of the accident or thereafter by interviewing participants or witnesses, shall, within ten (10) days after such accident, forward a written report of such accident to the state department of public safety.
(c) 
The police department shall maintain a suitable system of filing traffic accident reports. Accident reports or cards referring to them shall be filed alphabetically by location. Such reports shall be available for the use and information of the chief of police or his/her designee. The police department shall receive and properly file all accident reports made to it under state law or under section 12.03.002.
(1965 Code, sec. 18-15; 1989 Code, sec. 17-43; Ordinance adopting 2016 Code)
(a) 
It shall be the duty of the police department to investigate traffic accidents and to arrest and to assist in the prosecution of those persons charged with violations of law causing or contributing to such accidents.
(b) 
Whenever the accidents at any particular location become numerous, the police department shall conduct a study of such accidents and determine remedial measures which should be taken.
(1965 Code, sec. 18-16; 1989 Code, sec. 17-44)
The police department shall maintain a suitable record of all traffic accidents, arrests, convictions and complaints reported for each driver, which shall be filed alphabetically under the name of the driver concerned. Such records shall accumulate during at least a five-year period, and from that time on such records shall be maintained complete for at least the most recent five-year period.
(1965 Code, sec. 18-22; 1989 Code, sec. 17-46)
(a) 
The police department and the judge of the municipal court shall keep a record of all violations of this chapter and other traffic ordinances of the city and of the state vehicle laws of which any person has been charged, together with a record of the final disposition of all such alleged offenses. Such record shall be so maintained as to show all types of violations and the total of each. Such record shall accumulate during at least a five-year period, and from that time on the record shall be maintained complete for at least the most recent five-year period.
(b) 
All forms for records of traffic violations and notices of violations shall be serially numbered. For each month and year a written record shall be kept available to the public showing the disposal of all such forms.
(c) 
All such records shall be public records.
(1965 Code, sec. 18-23; 1989 Code, sec. 17-47)
Police officers investigating an accident shall provide an information card to the people involved to exchange pertinent information.
(1989 Code, sec. 17-48)
All peace officers’ accident reports shall be made available to any person upon written request. The fee for copies of such reports shall be as provided in appendix A to this code.
(Ordinance adopted 12/20/88, sec. 1; 1989 Code, sec. 17-49; Ordinance adopting 2016 Code)