The coroner, or the coroner’s appointed deputy, on being notified of a death occurring while the deceased was driving or riding in a motor vehicle, or as a result of the deceased being struck by a motor vehicle, shall take blood and urine samples from the body of the deceased before it has been prepared for burial and make appropriate related chemical tests to determine the alcoholic contents, if any, of the body. The coroner may perform other chemical tests including, but not limited to, barbituric acid and amphetamine derivative as deemed appropriate.
The detailed medical findings, resulting from those examinations that are conducted, shall either be reduced to writing or permanently preserved on recording discs or other similar recording media and shall include all positive and negative findings pertinent to the presence or absence of any alcoholic or other substance content.
This section shall not apply to the testing of deceased persons under the age of 15 years, unless the surrounding circumstances indicate the possibility of alcoholic, barbituric acid, and amphetamine derivative consumption, nor shall it apply when the death has occurred more than 24 hours after the accident.
(Amended by Stats. 1993, Ch. 389, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1994.)