New Mexico § 66-7-350 - Officers authorized to remove illegally stopped vehicles

§ 66-7-350. Officers authorized to remove illegally stopped vehicles

A. Whenever any police officer finds a vehicle standing upon a highway in violation

of any of the foregoing provisions of Sections 66-7-349 through 66-7-352 NMSA 1978 , such officer is hereby authorized to move such vehicle, or require the driver or

other person in charge of the vehicle to move the same, to a position off the paved

or main-traveled part of such highway. B. Whenever any police officer finds a vehicle unattended upon any bridge or causeway

or in any tunnel where such vehicle constitutes an obstruction to traffic, such officer

is hereby authorized to provide for the removal of such vehicle to the nearest garage

or other place of safety. C. No driver of any vehicle shall permit said vehicle to remain unattended on or adjacent

to any public road, highway or highway right-of-way of the state for a longer period

than twenty-four hours without notifying the state police or sheriff's office of the

county where said vehicle is parked or said vehicle shall be deemed abandoned. The state police or sheriff's officer may cause all such abandoned vehicles to be

removed and the owner of the vehicle shall be required to pay all costs incident to

the removal of said vehicle, provided that wrecked vehicles may be removed at any

time and without regard to the twenty-four hour period hereinbefore provided. D. Whenever an officer shall order a dealer or wrecker to remove from a highway, or

territory adjacent thereto, any damaged or abandoned vehicle the officer shall at

the time issue signed and dated instructions in writing to the dealer or wrecker specifically

stating if the vehicle is to be “held for investigation” or if it may be released

to the owner.