The Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee heard SB 218 on watercraft accidents by Sen. Merritt. This bill provides that an operator of a boat who is involved in an accident or collision resulting in injury to or death of a person or damage to a boat or other property (operator) shall: (1) if it can be done without endangering a person, stop the boat immediately and as close as possible to the scene of the accident; and (2) if it can be done without endangering a person, return to the scene of the accident and remain there until the operator has complied with the statutory requirements concerning watercraft accidents. Specifies that the operator shall notify emergency services in addition to providing reasonable assistance to each person injured. It also requires that an operator make a reasonable and good faith effort to assist a person injured in a collision, but that an operator is not required to perform an act that would endanger a person.
A representative from the Indiana Public Defender Council testified in support of this bill. The bill passed 8-0.
Read the bill at: http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2019/bills/senate/218