The driver of a vehicle or street car involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any
person, or damage to property of any one person in excess of $500.00 shall by the quickest means of
communication give notice of such accident to the local police department or to the nearest office of
the county police of the county or of the State Police, and in addition shall within 10 days after such
accident forward a written report of such accident to the commission on forms furnished by it. Such
written reports shall contain sufficiently detailed information with reference to a motor vehicle
accident, including the cause, the conditions then existing, the persons and vehicles involved and such
information as may be necessary to enable the chief administrator to determine whether the
requirements for the deposit of security required by law are inapplicable by reason of the existence of
insurance or other circumstances. The chief administrator may rely upon the accuracy of the
information contained in any such report, unless he has reason to believe that the report is erroneous.
The commission may require operators involved in accidents to file supplemental reports of accidents
upon forms furnished by it when in the opinion of the commission, the original report is insufficient.
The reports shall be without prejudice, shall be for the information of the commission, and shall not be
open to public inspection. The fact that the reports have been so made shall be admissible in evidence
solely to prove a compliance with this section, but no report or any part thereof or statement contained
therein shall be admissible in evidence for any other purpose in any proceeding or action arising out of
the accident.
Whenever the driver of a vehicle is physically incapable of giving immediate notice or making a
written report of an accident as required in this section and there was another occupant in the vehicle
at the time of the accident capable of giving notice or making a report, such occupant shall make or
cause to be made said notice or report not made by the driver.
Whenever the driver is physically incapable of making a written report of an accident as required
by this section and such driver is not the owner of the vehicle, then the owner of the vehicle involved in
such accident shall make such report not made by the driver.
In those cases where a driver knowingly violates the provisions of this section by failing to make a
written report of an accident, there shall be a permissive inference that the registered owner of the
vehicle which was involved in that accident was the person involved in the accident; provided, however,
if that vehicle is owned by a rental car company or is a leased vehicle, there shall be a permissive
inference that the renter or authorized driver pursuant to a rental car contract or the lessee, and not the
owner of the vehicle, was the person involved in the accident, and the requirements and penalties
imposed pursuant to this section shall be applicable to that renter or authorized driver or lessee and not
the owner of the vehicle.
Any person who suppresses, by way of concealment or destruction, any evidence of a violation of
this section or who suppresses the identity of the violator shall be subject to a fine of not less than $250
or more than $1,000.
A written report of an accident shall not be required by this section if a law enforcement officer
submits a written report of the accident to the commission pursuant to R.S.39:4-131.
Except as otherwise provided in this section, a person who knowingly violates this section shall be
fined not less than $30 or more than $100.
The chief administrator may revoke or suspend the operators license privilege and registration
privilege of a person who violates this section.
For purposes of this section, it shall not be a defense that the operator of the motor vehicle was
unaware of the existence or extent of personal injury or property damage caused by the accident as long
as the operator was aware that he was involved in an accident.