350.15 Accidents and accident reports.

(2) Duty to render aid. Insofar as the operator is capable of doing, the operator of a snowmobile involved in a snowmobile accident shall render to other persons affected thereby such assistance as is practicable and necessary to save them from or minimize any danger caused by the accident and shall give his or her name and address and identification of his or her snowmobile to any person injured and to the owner of any property damaged in the accident.

(3) Duty to report.

(a) If a snowmobile accident results in the death of any person, or in an injury that requires the treatment of a person by a physician, the operator of each snowmobile involved in the accident shall give notice of the accident to a conservation warden or local law enforcement officer as soon as possible and, within 10 days after the accident, shall file a written report of the accident with the department on the form prescribed by it.

(b) If the operator of a snowmobile is physically incapable of making the report required by this subsection and there was another occupant on the snowmobile at the time of the accident capable of making the report that other occupant shall make such report.

(4) Reports not used as evidence. No report required by this section to be filed with the department shall be used as evidence in any trial, civil or criminal, arising out of an accident, except that the department shall furnish upon demand of any person who has or claims to have made such a report, or upon demand of any court, a certificate showing that a specified accident report has or has not been made to the department solely to prove a compliance or a failure to comply with the requirement that such a report be made.

(5) Investigations.

(a) The department shall investigate any snowmobile accident that results in the death of any person.

(b) The department may investigate any snowmobile accident that results in an injury that requires the treatment of a person by a physician.

(6) Exception. This section does not apply to snowmobile accidents that occur during a sanctioned race or derby.

History: 1971 c. 277; 1983 a. 27; 1987 a. 403; 1989 a. 31; 1991 a. 316; 2003 a. 166.

Reports under sub. (3) are not confidential documents. 76 Atty. Gen. 56.