AI-assisted research summary: After a crash or incident causing a roadway hazard, a cited vehicle owner or operator must reimburse cleanup costs, with later reimbursement adjustments if responsibility is reassigned; tow truck personnel are not required to follow unsafe orders.
§291.1. Roadway hazard cleanup A. Whenever a motor vehicle crash or incident results in a roadway hazard that requires an extraordinary commitment of public safety resources by the responding agencies to cleanup or remove the hazard, the vehicle owner or operator who is issued a citation for a traffic violation at the scene of the crash or incident shall reimburse the responding agencies for the extraordinary cost of the cleanup. B. However, if a court subsequently finds that the owner or operator who received a citation was not legally responsible or was only partially responsible for the crash or incident, he shall be reimbursed by the responding agency for any money he has expended on the cost of the cleanup or removal which is a percentage of such cost equal to the percentage of the crash or incident for which he was not held legally responsible. The party who was found legally responsible for the crash or incident shall then pay the responding agency for the cost of the cleanup or removal which is a percentage of such cost equal to the percentage of the crash or incident for which he was held legally responsible. C. Nothing in this Section shall require a tow truck owner, operator, or employee to follow a directive or order that is unsafe or beyond the operational standard or capacity of any equipment being used in cleanup or in removing the roadway hazard. If a tow truck owner or operator refuses to follow a directive or order because of an unsafe condition, no adverse action by a law enforcement agency shall be taken against such owner or operator including removal from any rotation list. Acts 1999, No. 1138, §1; Acts 2008, No. 429, §1, eff. June 21, 2008.