Section 603-A. Accidents; police authorities to investigate

1. In addition
  to the requirements of  section  six  hundred  three  of  this  article,
  whenever  a motor vehicle accident results in serious physical injury or
  death to a person, and such accident either is discovered  by  a  police
  officer,  or  reported  to  a police officer within five days after such
  accident occurred, the police shall conduct  an  investigation  of  such
  accident.  Such  investigation  shall  be  conducted for the purposes of
  making a determination of the following: the facts and circumstances  of
  the  accident;  the  type  or  types  of  vehicles  involved,  including
  passenger  motor  vehicles,  commercial  motor  vehicles,   motorcycles,
  limited  use  motorcycles,  off-highway  motorcycles,  and/or  bicycles;
  whether pedestrians were involved; the contributing factor  or  factors;
  whether  it  can  be  determined  if  a  violation or violations of this
  chapter occurred, and if so, the specific  provisions  of  this  chapter
  which  were violated and by whom; and, the cause of such accident, where
  such cause can be determined. The police shall forward  a  copy  of  the
  investigation  report  to  the commissioner within five business days of
  the completion of such report.
    2. For purposes of this section, the following terms  shall  have  the
  following meanings:
    (a)  "commercial  motor  vehicle"  shall have the same meaning as such
  term is defined in either subdivision four of section five hundred one-a
  or subdivision one of section five hundred nine-p of this chapter; and
    (b) "serious physical injury" shall have the same meaning as such term
  is defined in section 10.00 of the penal law.