Riley v. County of Broome

OPINION OF THE COURT

Chief Judge Kaye.

These appeals call upon us to do what increasingly is asked of courts in this age of statutes: interpret the words of a legislative enactment which the contesting parties construe differently. In particular, we are asked whether Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1103 (b) exempts statutorily defined “hazard vehicles” engaged in highway work from the “rules of the road,” and whether it limits the liability of their owners and operators to reckless disregard for the safety of others. We conclude that defendants correctly read the statute, and we hold — as did the…