553.09 RAILROAD VANDALISM.
   (a)   No person shall knowingly, and by any means, drop or throw any object at, onto, or in the path of, any railroad rail, railroad track, locomotive, engine, railroad car, or other vehicle of a railroad company while such vehicle is on a railroad track.
   (b)   No person, without privilege to do so, shall climb upon or into any locomotive, engine, railroad car, or other vehicle of a railroad company when it is on a railroad track.
   (c)   No person, without privilege to do so, shall disrupt, delay, or prevent the operation of any train or other vehicle of a railroad company while such vehicle is on a railroad track.
   (d)   Whoever violates subsection (a) of this section is guilty of railroad vandalism. Whoever violates subsection (b) of this section is guilty of criminal trespass on a locomotive, engine, railroad car or other railroad vehicle. Whoever violates subsection (c) of this section is guilty of interference with the operation of a train.
   Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, railroad vandalism; criminal trespass on a locomotive, engine, railroad car, or other railroad vehicle; and interference with the operation of a train each is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the violation of subsection (a), (b) or (c) of this section causes serious physical harm to property, creates a substantial risk of physical harm to any person, causes physical harm to any person, or serious physical harm to any person, the violation is a felony and shall be prosecuted under appropriate State law.
   (e)   No person shall knowingly deface, damage, obstruct, remove, or otherwise impair the operation of any railroad grade crossing warning signal or other protective device, including any gate, bell, light, crossbuck, stop sign, yield sign, advance warning sign, or advance pavement
marking.
   (f)   Whoever violates subsection (e) of this section is guilty of railroad grade crossing device vandalism. Except as otherwise provided in this division, railroad grade crossing device vandalism is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the violation of subsection (e) of this section causes serious physical harm to property or creates a substantial risk of physical harm to any person, causes physical harm to any person, or causes serious physical harm to any person, railroad grade crossing device vandalism is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate state law.
(ORC 2909.10, 2909.101; Ord. 22-244. Passed 8-2-22.)