(1) Subject to s. 346.01 (2), the owner of a vehicle involved in a violation of s. 346.455 (1) or (2) shall be liable for the violation as provided in this subsection. (2) A member of the fire department or fire patrol who observes a violation of s. 346.455 (1) or (2) may prepare a written report indicating that a violation has occurred. The report shall contain the following information: (a) The time and location at which the violation occurred. (b) The license number and color of the vehicle involved in the violation. (c) Identification of the vehicle as an automobile, motor truck, motor bus, motorcycle or other type of vehicle. (3) Within 24 hours after observing the violation, the member of the fire department or fire patrol may deliver the report to a traffic officer of the political subdivision in which the violation occurred. A report which does not contain all of the information in sub. (2) may nevertheless be delivered and shall be maintained by the political subdivision for statistical purposes. (4) (a) Within 48 hours after receiving a report containing all of the information in sub. (2) and after conducting an investigation, the traffic officer may prepare a uniform traffic citation under s. 345.11 for the violation and may personally serve it upon the owner of the vehicle. (b) If with reasonable diligence the owner of the vehicle cannot be served under par. (a) or if the owner lives outside of the jurisdiction of the issuing authority, service may be made by certified mail addressed to the owner’s last-known address. (5) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), it is not a defense to a violation of s. 346.455 (1) or (2) that the owner of the vehicle was not in control of the vehicle at the time of the violation. (b) The following are defenses to a violation of s. 346.455 (1) or (2): 1. That a report that the vehicle was stolen was given to a traffic officer before the violation occurred or within a reasonable time after the violation occurred. 2. That the owner of the vehicle provides a traffic officer with the name and address of the person who was in control of the vehicle at the time of the violation and the person so named admits having the vehicle under his or her control at the time of the violation. In such a case, that person and not the owner shall be charged with the violation. 3. That the vehicle is owned by a lessor of vehicles and at the time of the violation the vehicle was in the possession of a lessee, and the lessor provides a traffic officer with the information required under s. 343.46 (3). In such a case, the lessee and not the lessor shall be charged with the violation. 4. That the vehicle is owned by a dealer as defined in s. 340.01 (11) (intro.) but including the persons specified in s. 340.01 (11) (a) to (d), and at the time of the violation the vehicle was under the control of a person on a trial run and the dealer provides a traffic officer with the name, address and operator’s license number of that person. In such a case, that person and not the dealer shall be charged with the violation.
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