70.150 Sheriff to patrol roads -- Record of accidents. (1) The sheriff of each county and his deputies shall patrol all public roads in his county, and direct, regulate and control the traffic on such roads so as to maintain a maximum degree of safety. (2) He shall, as soon as possible, after receiving information of their occurrence, investigate all accidents and wrecks occurring upon the roads. When possible, he shall determine the position of each of the vehicles connected therewith immediately before and after each accident or wreck. Where accidents or wrecks appear to have been made by the vehicles or by the parties owning, operating, or occupying the vehicles at the time of the accident or wreck, he shall make visible impressions made on and about the road that have a tendency to disclose the cause of the accident. He shall make a record in his office of his observations and findings. He shall ascertain, if possible, the license number of each of the vehicles connected therewithin, the number of each engine and the make of each vehicle, the name of the state, territory, district, department and county issuing the license, the name and address of the owner or operator of the vehicle, the name and address of each occupant of the vehicles, the name and address of each witness, and the name and address of each person who immediately thereafter came upon the ground or who saw evidence of the position of the vehicles immediately before or after the accident or wreck, or who heard a statement made by the parties owning or occupying either vehicle as to how or who caused the accident or wreck. (3) When any person is wounded or killed, or there is reason to believe that criminal negligence or carelessness was the cause of the accident or wreck, the officer making the inspection, shall take affidavits or statements from all witnesses who have information of incriminating facts connected therewith. For the purpose of securing affidavits or statements, each sheriff and deputy may upon his own initiative, issue and serve a subpoena upon witnesses requiring them to testify, and may administer an oath to each witness before testifying, and may reduce the testimony to writing. The sheriff shall return the affidavits and statements, together with a report in writing of all information required to the county attorney and make a duplicate of the report and statements or affidavits to the circuit clerk for submission to the grand jury next to be convened in his county. Effective October 1, 1942.
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 14:02:44 +0000
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