18.2-155 - Injuring, etc., signal used by railroad.

§ 18.2-155. Injuring, etc., signal used by railroad.

If any person maliciously injure, destroy, molest, or remove any switchlamp,flag or other signal used by any railroad, or any line, wire, post, lamp orany other structure or mechanism used in connection with any signal on arailroad, or destroys or in any manner interferes with the proper working ofany signal on a railroad, whereby the life of any person is or may be put inperil he shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony; and in the event of the deathof such person resulting from such malicious injuring, destroying orremoving, the person so offending shall be deemed guilty of murder, thedegree to be determined by the jury or the court trying the case without ajury. If such act be done unlawfully but not maliciously the offender shallbe guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor, provided that in the event of the deathof any such person resulting from such unlawful injuring, destroying orremoving, the person so offending shall be deemed guilty of involuntarymanslaughter.

(Code 1950, § 18.1-153; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15.)