61-7-114. Accident reports confidential. (1) All required accident reports and supplemental reports shall be without prejudice to the individual reporting and shall be for the confidential use of the department or other state agencies having use for the records for accident prevention purposes or for the administration of the laws of this state relating to the deposit of security and proof of financial responsibility by persons driving or the owners of motor vehicles. The department may disclose the identity of a person involved in an accident when such identity is not otherwise known or when such person denies his presence at the accident.
     (2) Except as provided in this section, all accident reports and supplemental information filed as required by this part shall be confidential and not open to general public inspection, nor shall copying of lists of such reports be permitted. The report and supplemental information filed by law enforcement personnel, as required by this part, may be examined and copied, without obtaining a court order, by any person named in the report or reports or by any driver, passenger, or pedestrian involved in the accident or by his representative designated in writing, by a party to a civil action arising from the accident, or if the person is deceased, by his executor or administrator or by the attorney representing his executor or administrator.

     History: En. Sec. 14, Ch. 210, L. 1939; amd. Sec. 9, Ch. 256, L. 1959; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 142, L. 1973; R.C.M. 1947, 32-1213; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 503, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 486, L. 1989.