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§ 21-904. Eluding or escaping police officers prohibited

West's Annotated Code of MarylandTransportationEffective: October 1, 2017

West's Annotated Code of Maryland
Transportation
Title 21. Vehicle Laws--Rules of the Road (Refs & Annos)
Subtitle 9. Reckless, Negligent, or Impaired Driving; Fleeing or Eluding Police (Refs & Annos)
Effective: October 1, 2017
MD Code, Transportation, § 21-904
§ 21-904. Eluding or escaping police officers prohibited
Currentness
Visual or audible signal defined
(a) In this section, “visual or audible signal” includes a signal by hand, voice, emergency light or siren.
Signals to stop from police officers in uniform
(b) If a police officer gives a visual or audible signal to stop and the police officer is in uniform, prominently displaying the police officer's badge or other insignia of office, a driver of a vehicle may not attempt to elude the police officer by:
(1) Willfully failing to stop the driver's vehicle;
(2) Fleeing on foot; or
(3) Any other means.
Signals to stop from officers in marked police vehicles
(c) If a police officer gives a visual or audible signal to stop and the police officer, whether or not in uniform, is in a vehicle appropriately marked as an official police vehicle, a driver of a vehicle may not attempt to elude the police officer by:
(1) Willfully failing to stop the driver's vehicle;
(2) Fleeing on foot; or
(3) Any other means.
Violations resulting in bodily injury or death to another person
(d)(1) A driver may not commit a violation of subsection (b)(1) or (c)(1) of this section that results in bodily injury to another person.
(2) A driver may not commit a violation of subsection (b)(1) or (c)(1) of this section that results in death of another person.
Police officers in pursuit of drivers who committed a crime of violence
(e)(1) In this subsection, “crime of violence” has the meaning stated in § 14-101 of the Criminal Law Article.
(2) A driver may not commit a violation of subsection (b)(1) or (c)(1) of this section while the driver is attempting to elude a police officer who is signaling for the driver to stop for the purpose of apprehending the driver for the commission of a crime of violence for which the driver is subsequently convicted.
Fines and penalties
(f)(1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, a person convicted of a violation of this section is subject to:
(i) For a first offense, imprisonment not exceeding 1 year or a fine not exceeding $1,000 or both; and
(ii) For a second or subsequent offense, imprisonment not exceeding 2 years or a fine not exceeding $1,000 or both.
(2) A person convicted of a violation of subsection (d)(1) or (e) of this section is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or a fine not exceeding $5,000 or both.
(3) A person convicted of a violation of subsection (d)(2) of this section is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $5,000 or both.

Credits

Added by Acts 1986, c. 472, § 1. Amended by Acts 1993, c. 355; Acts 2001, c. 483, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2001; Acts 2005, c. 25, § 13, eff. April 12, 2005; Acts 2005, c. 482, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2005; Acts 2007, c. 184, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2007; Acts 2017, c. 55, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2017.
MD Code, Transportation, § 21-904, MD TRANS § 21-904
Current through legislation effective through April 9, 2023, from the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
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