§ 18-6. Removal of vehicles by police department.

(a)

Members of the police department are hereby authorized to remove a vehicle from a street or highway to the nearest garage or other place of safety, or to a garage designated or maintained by the police department, or otherwise maintained by this city under the circumstances hereinafter enumerated.

(1)

When any vehicle is left unattended upon any bridge or viaduct, where such vehicle constitutes an obstruction to traffic.

(2)

When a vehicle upon a highway is so disabled as to constitute an obstruction to traffic and the person or persons in charge of the vehicle are by reason of physical injury incapacitated to such an extent as to be unable to provide for its custody or removal.

(3)

When any vehicle is left unattended upon a street and is so parked illegally as to constitute a definite hazard or obstruction to the normal movement of traffic.

(b)

Whenever an officer removes a vehicle from a street as authorized in this section and the officer knows or is able to ascertain from the registration records in the vehicle the name and address of the owner thereof, such officer shall immediately give or cause to be given notice in writing to such owner of the fact of such removal and the reasons therefor and of the place to which such vehicle has been removed.

(Code 1964, § 14-96)