Rep. Wants To Do Away With 'Crash Tax'

DENVER (CBS4) - At the Colorado state Capitol one lawmaker is pushing to do away with what some call a "crash tax." They're the fees some fire departments charge for people who are involved in an accident in a jurisdiction they don't live in.

In some districts drivers can be subject to a fee for crews' services even if it's just a fender bender and it's not the driver's fault. One legislator is proposing a bill to end those fees and prevent any more cities from adopting them.

"I think people don't like the idea of having this unexpected bill show up when you just had a fairly minor encounter," Rep. Spencer Swalm said.

Some fire departments say without these fees their district's taxpayers foot the bill for resources used by people who were just passing through.