Sec. 14-223. Failure to bring motor vehicle to full stop when signalled. Disregard of signal. Penalty.
Sec. 14-223. Failure to bring motor vehicle to full stop when signalled. Disregard of signal. Penalty. (a) Whenever the operator of any motor vehicle fails promptly
to bring his motor vehicle to a full stop upon the signal of any officer in uniform or
prominently displaying the badge of his office, or disobeys the direction of such officer
with relation to the operation of his motor vehicle, he shall be deemed to have committed
an infraction and be fined thirty-five dollars for a first offense and shall be fined not
less than thirty-five dollars nor more than fifty dollars for any subsequent offense.
(b) No person operating a motor vehicle, when signalled to stop by an officer in a
police vehicle using an audible signal device or flashing or revolving lights, shall increase the speed of the motor vehicle in an attempt to escape or elude such police officer.
Any person who violates this subsection shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor, except
that, if such violation causes the death or serious physical injury, as defined in section
53a-3, of another person, such person shall be guilty of a class D felony, and shall
have such person's motor vehicle operator's license suspended for one year for the
first offense, except that the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may, after a hearing, as
provided for in subsection (k) of section 14-111, and upon a showing of compelling
mitigating circumstances, reinstate such person's license before the expiration of such
one-year period. For any subsequent offense such person shall be guilty of a class D
felony, except that if any prior offense by such person under this subsection caused, and
such subsequent offense causes, the death or serious physical injury, as defined in section
53a-3, of another person, such person shall be guilty of a class D felony for which one
year of the sentence imposed may not be suspended or reduced by the court, and shall
have such person's motor vehicle operator's license suspended for not less than eighteen
months nor more than two years, except that said commissioner may, after a hearing,
as provided for in subsection (k) of section 14-111, and upon a showing of compelling
mitigating circumstances, reinstate such person's license before such period.
(1949 Rev., S. 2409; P.A. 78-372, S. 3, 7; P.A. 82-189; 82-223, S. 15; P.A. 83-577, S. 21; P.A. 96-99; P.A. 99-171, S.
4, 5.)
History: P.A. 78-372 added Subsec. (b) re attempts to elude police vehicles; P.A. 82-189 amended Subsec. (b) by
deleting the reference to intentional disregard and endangerment and increasing the minimum penalties from a minimum
fine of $100 to $500 and a minimum license suspension from two months to one year for a first offense and a minimum
fine from $500 to $1,000 and a minimum license suspension from six to eighteen months for a subsequent offense; P.A.
82-223 amended Subsec. (a) by specifying that the commission of a first offense constituted an infraction, changing the
fine from not less than $5 nor more than $25 to $25 for a first offense, and increasing the minimum fine for a subsequent
offense from $10 to $25; P.A. 83-577 amended Subsec. (a) by increasing the fine for a first offense from $25 to $35 and
the minimum fine for a subsequent offense from $25 to $35; P.A. 96-99 amended Subsec. (b) by increasing the maximum
fine from $1,000 to $2,000 and establishing a term of imprisonment of not more than one year for a first offense and by
establishing a term of imprisonment of not less than one year nor more than five years for a subsequent offense; P.A. 99-171 amended Subsec. (b) by making a violation of this section a class A misdemeanor and deleting specific fine limits and
prison terms, by increasing the penalty for violation of this section when such violation causes death or serious injury, by
providing for an additional penalty when there is more than one violation of this section causing death or serious injury,
and by making technical changes, effective January 1, 2000.
See Sec. 14-111g re operator's retraining program.
Cited. 4 Conn. Cir. Ct. 385.
Subsec. (b):
Cited. 202 C. 629. Cited. 222 C. 444.
Cited. 33 CA 49. Cited. 40 CA 762. Sec. 53a-57(a) and this subsec. contain multiple elements that are dissimilar, and
the clear language of the statutes themselves is sufficient for a conclusion that they do not impose two punishments for
the same act. 84 CA 351.