RICHMOND — A bill intended to make it clear motorists should steer wide of emergency vehicles stopped at wreck sites failed to make it through the General Assembly.
Amendments proposed in the Senate turned out to be roadblocks for HB 2542, sponsored by Del. Shannon Valentine, D-Lynchburg.
“The House of Delegates and Senate could not agree,” Valentine said Saturday night as the bill expired in the last two hours of the 2009 session.
The bill would have given the existing state law a definition for a stationary emergency vehicle, applying it to police vehicles, ambulances and fire trucks with their lights flashing.
Currently, the law applies to vehicles with flashing lights while they are responding to an emergency.
There was no clear definition for emergency vehicles stopped at the scene of accidents or other roadside events.
“The lack of a definition was causing difficulty in court cases,” Valentine said.
Senators proposed amendments. One would clarify that work zones would be excluded from the bill, and the House agreed.
But another amendment would have reduced the penalty for a first offense from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a traffic violation.
The maximum penalty for a Class 1 misdemeanor is a $2,500 fine and 12 months in jail.
The House wouldn’t give in to that change without a full hearing in the House Courts of Justice Committee, and the deadline for committee work had passed five days earlier.
Sen. Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, said the bill would have increased the number of tickets police could write.
Valentine said the measure could save lives of emergency responders who work alongside 65 mph traffic.
“There are times when it is wiser to return next year and take a more comprehensive look at the legislation,” Valentine said.
“The State Police and Sheriff's Association have stated publicly this legislation will save lives, so I know we will be back,” she said.
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