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To enact section 4511.714 of the Revised Code to | 1 |
prohibit the operation of a motor vehicle on or | 2 |
onto any location that is temporarily covered by a | 3 |
rise in water level and to impose on an offender a | 4 |
financial sanction of up to $2,000 for the cost of | 5 |
the person's rescue, payable to the person's | 6 |
rescuer. | 7 |
Section 1. That section 4511.714 of the Revised Code be | 8 |
enacted to read as follows: | 9 |
Sec. 4511.714. (A) No person shall operate a vehicle on or | 10 |
onto a public street or highway that is temporarily covered by a | 11 |
rise in water level, including groundwater or an overflow of | 12 |
water, and that is clearly marked as being closed due to the rise | 13 |
in water level. | 14 |
(B) A person who is issued a citation for a violation of | 15 |
division (A) of this section is not permitted to enter a written | 16 |
plea of guilty and waive the person's right to contest the | 17 |
citation in court, but instead must appear in person in the proper | 18 |
court to answer the charge. | 19 |
(C)(1) Whoever violates division (A) of this section is | 20 |
guilty of a minor misdemeanor. | 21 |
(2) In addition to the financial sanctions authorized or | 22 |
required under section 2929.28 of the Revised Code and to any | 23 |
costs otherwise authorized or required under any provision of law, | 24 |
the court imposing sentence upon an offender who is convicted of | 25 |
or pleads guilty to a violation of division (A) of this section | 26 |
shall order the offender to reimburse one or more rescuers for the | 27 |
cost any such rescuer incurred in rescuing the person, excluding | 28 |
any cost of transporting the rescued person to a hospital or other | 29 |
facility for treatment of injuries, up to a cumulative maximum of | 30 |
two thousand dollars. If more than one rescuer was involved in the | 31 |
emergency response, the court shall allocate the reimbursement | 32 |
proportionately, according to the cost each rescuer incurred. A | 33 |
financial sanction imposed under this section is a judgment in | 34 |
favor of the rescuer and, subject to a determination of indigency | 35 |
under division (B) of section 2929.28 of the Revised Code, a | 36 |
rescuer may collect the financial sanction in the same manner as | 37 |
provided in section 2929.28 of the Revised Code. | 38 |
(D) As used in this section: | 39 |
(1) "Emergency medical service organization," "firefighting | 40 |
agency," and "private fire company" have the same meanings as in | 41 |
section 9.60 of the Revised Code. | 42 |
(2) "Rescuer" means a state agency, political subdivision, | 43 |
firefighting agency, private fire company, or emergency medical | 44 |
service organization. | 45 |