Getting In A Wreck In Moline Will Cost You

I remember the first car accident I was ever involved in like it was yesterday. I was eighteen, and decided that I could pull out of a gas station parking lot and across a lane before oncoming traffic arrived. I even said, "watch this brave move" to my buddy, a phrase he still taunts me with to this day.

The station wagon that appeared out of nowhere from behind a snowbank totaled my 1971 school-bus yellow Ford Pinto (it had brown plaid seats too.) The ambulance bill I got three weeks later added insult to injury.

Out-of-town drivers passing through Moline are being surprised by a law that has been on the books for almost two years now. The law bills non-resident drivers who are involved in crashes for reimbursement of services if emergency responders are called on scene.

According to the City of Moline website, Council enacted a fee to non-residents who are at fault for traffic accidents in the City of Moline in April of 2015.  The fees are as follows:

Squad Car: $66.00
Fire Truck:   $262.00
Ambulance: $127.00

While it comes as a shock to many, Mayor Raes, in a letter to WQAD News 8 defended the law saying many municipalities around the country have a similar law in place to recoup costs.

The Moline website goes on to say that if you wish to "dispute the assessment of this first responders fee, a written appeal to the Public Safety Director is required within 30 days from the date of the original invoice."

Perhaps the best approach is to drive very carefully through Moline, and not make any "brave moves."

Do you think this fee is fair? Sound off in the comments.

- Craig