Great info from DPPD: What should you do if you witness an auto collision?
Do you ever wonder, what should you do if you witness an auto collision? We all know what we should do if we were INVOLVED in an auto collision, but what are you supposed to do if you just witnessed it?
Here’s a scenario. You’re in a hurry (to get to work, school, daycare, doctor’s appointment, etc.) and you just saw two vehicles get into an auto collision. You are an eyewitness to the collision, but you’re also running late. What should you do?
Here is what you should do:
Look to see if everyone involved in the collision came out of their vehicles. If the drivers can physically exit their vehicles, they’re most likely ok. You can call the non-emergency line and report the crash as you are driving away.
If you do not see people exiting their vehicles, pull over and call 9-1-1. You should stay with the drivers until other help arrives. If nobody is hurt, you can call the non-emergency line to report it, leave your contact information with one of the drivers, to hand over to the police officer, and then leave. When the police officer arrives on scene and needs to talk to you, they can contact you.
If you do not wish to leave your contact information, with the drivers involved in a collision, you can leave your contact information with the dispatcher. Make sure you let the dispatcher know that you witnessed the collision but cannot stay to wait for the police officer (for a good reason). The dispatcher will record your contact information and let the police officer know that you are an eyewitness.
Ideally, the police officer investigating the auto collision would like everyone, who witnessed the collision, to stay and give their statements, but we understand that at certain times, you can’t.
FYI, under the Deer Park City Ordinance on Use of a Wireless Communications Device on a Public Roadway:
“It shall be an affirmative defense if the operator of the motor vehicle is using the wireless communication device to obtain emergency assistance to report a crime, medical emergency, fire, traffic accident, or other emergency to a 911 operator.”
Optional: report the collision on Google Maps, Waze, or any other navigation app, so that other drivers can take a different route.
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