No railroad corporation, nor its servants or agents, shall willfully or negligently obstruct or unnecessarily use or occupy a highway, city or town way, or street, nor in any case at a street or highway grade crossing, with cars or engines for more than five (5) minutes at one time; and whenever a highway, city or town way or street has been thus used or occupied with cars or engines, no railroad corporation shall again use or occupy the same with cars or engines until a sufficient time, not less than three (3) minutes, has been allowed for the passage across the railroad of such travelers as were ready and waiting to cross when the former occupation ceased. For every violation of the provisions of this section, the corporation shall be fined not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100).

History of Section.
G.L. 1896, ch. 187, § 51; G.L. 1909, ch. 215, § 55; G.L. 1923, ch. 251, § 46; G.L. 1938, ch. 124, § 46; G.L. 1956, § 39-8-4.