| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §101, sub-§58-A is enacted to read: |
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| | 58-A.__Public safety official.__"Public safety official" means | a member of a fire department, rescue or ambulance service or | other municipal emergency service or a person who by virtue of | public employment is vested by law with a duty to maintain public | safety. |
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| | Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §2057, first ¶, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, | §2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read: |
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| | An operator shall obey a traffic-control device, unless | otherwise directed by a law enforcement officer or public safety | official. A traffic-control device conforming to the | requirements for these devices is presumed to comply with this | chapter. |
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| | Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §2078, as amended by PL 1999, c. 183, §11, is | repealed and the following enacted in its place: |
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| | 1.__Closure of way.__For public safety or convenience, during | a fire, accident, emergency or special event, a law enforcement | officer or public safety official may temporarily close a way to | vehicular traffic or to vehicles of a certain description or | divert pedestrian or vehicular traffic. |
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| | 2.__Violation.__An operator or pedestrian commits a Class E | crime if that operator or pedestrian refuses to follow the | directions for the movement of vehicles or pedestrians on request | or signal of a law enforcement officer or public safety official. |
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| | 3.__Registered owner's liability for vehicle illegally | refusing to follow directions of public safety official.__A | person who is a registered owner of a vehicle at the time that | vehicle is involved in a violation of subsection 2 commits a | traffic infraction.__For purposes of this subsection, "registered | owner" includes a person issued a dealer or transporter | registration plate. |
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| A.__A public safety official who observes a violation of this | section may report the violation to a law enforcement officer.__ | If a report is made, the public safety official shall report the | time and the location of the violation and the registration plate | number and a description of the vehicle involved.__The officer | shall initiate an |
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