Pennsylvania bill would mandate shops receive hit-and-run alerts and report suspect vehicles
A Pennsylvania bill would require collision repair shops to register to receive alerts about hit-and-run vehicle descriptions and report vehicles that match those descriptions.
HB 2635, filed by Rep. Morgan Cephas (D-192), would create “Jay Alerts.” The alert system would notify repair facilities in the state about vehicle information believed to be involved in a hit-and-run, such as vehicle make, model, year, and color; license plate number; unique identifying characteristics; and the extent of the damage.
The bill is motivated by the 2016 death of 8-year-old Jayanna Powell, who was struck and killed while walking home from school in Philadelphia. The driver fled the scene and took the vehicle to a repair facility two counties away, the bill says.
“In order to more quickly identify and apprehend motorists who have fled the scene of an accident, the General Assembly deems it necessary to implement a system of direct notification to motor vehicle repair facilities of all vehicles involved in hit-and-run accidents,” the bill says.
The bill would make it a third-degree misdemeanor for owners of repair facilities who fail to report a vehicle matching alert descriptions.
Cephas recently told a local television station that the alerts would also be sent to the public’s cellphones and be broadcast on television.
“So Jay Alert, it would not only help the police find them faster, but it would also give the community an alert to be on the lookout for this vehicle,” Cephas told NBC Philadelphia.
Florida Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) has filed different versions of a bill in recent legislative sessions that would require collision repair shops to obtain crash reports from customers before fixing their vehicles.
The most recent bill, SB 92, was withdrawn in May. Gruters named the bill and its predecessors the “Lilly Glaubach Act” in honor of 13-year-old Glaubach, who was killed in a hit-and-run crash.
Police learned that the driver convicted of killing her took his vehicle to a repair center immediately after striking her and told employees that the damage was from a fallen tree.
The bill would’ve required repair shops to request a written crash report after writing an estimate to repair a vehicle involved in a collision that resulted in damage estimated at $2,500 or more.
Had the bill moved forward, and a customer did not provide a crash report, the shop would have been required to transmit a copy of the repair estimate to a database maintained by the Department of Law Enforcement within three business days after finalizing the estimate.
Florida Auto Body Association (FABA) Executive Director Ementi Coary previously said most collision bills, even for minor fender benders, often cost over $2,500. He said the bill would have prevented consumers from paying out of pocket to circumvent increased insurance premiums.
FABA also sent a letter to legislators opposing SB 92 and its companion, HB 807, which wasn’t voted on in any committee and was also withdrawn on May 3.
Image
Photo courtesy of ThomasShanahan/iStock