California · Penal Code

PEN §218.1: Any person who unlawfully and with gross negligence places or causes to be placed any obstruction upon or near the track of any railroad that proximately results in either the damaging or derailing of

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

A person who grossly negligently places an obstruction on railroad tracks causing train damage, derailment, or injury to passengers or employees is subject to imprisonment of two to four years or county jail time up to one year.

Read the full statutory text

Any person who unlawfully and with gross negligence places or causes to be placed any obstruction upon or near the track of any railroad that proximately results in either the damaging or derailing of any passenger, freight, or other train, or injures a rail passenger or employee, shall be punished by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for two, three, or four years, or by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or by a fine not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), or by both that imprisonment and fine.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.