46.2-896 - Duties of driver in event of accident involving damage only to unattended property.

§ 46.2-896. Duties of driver in event of accident involving damage only tounattended property.

The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident in which no person iskilled or injured, but in which an unattended vehicle or other unattendedproperty is damaged, shall make a reasonable effort to find the owner orcustodian of such property and shall report to the owner or custodian theinformation which the driver is required to report pursuant to § 46.2-894 ifsuch owner or custodian is found. If the owner or custodian of such damagedvehicle or property cannot be found, the driver shall leave a note or othersufficient information including driver identification and contactinformation in a conspicuous place at the scene of the accident and shallreport the accident in writing within 24 hours to the State Police or thelocal law-enforcement agency. Such note or other information and writtenreport shall contain the information that the driver is required to reportpursuant to § 46.2-894. The written report shall, in addition, state thedate, time, and place of the accident and the driver's description of theproperty damage.

Where, because of injuries sustained in the accident, the driver is preventedfrom complying with the foregoing provisions of this section, the drivershall, as soon as reasonably possible, make the required report to the StatePolice or local law-enforcement agency and make a reasonable effort to locatethe owner or custodian of the unattended vehicle or property and report tohim the information required by § 46.2-894.

(Code 1950, § 46-189; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-176; 1970, c. 59; 1977, c. 267;1982, c. 503; 1984, c. 780; 1989, c. 727; 1997, c. 431; 2005, c. 137.)