What to Do If You Witness an Accident
You are on the sidewalk and suddenly a Tesla driver crashes into a parked car. The car breaks the rearview mirror, leaving behind fragments. Before you know what happened, the driver drives away. Come back here, you vile scoundrel! You won’t last long with an electric charge!
While you don’t have to run after the driver (and good luck trying), you can help another driver left in the dust. Here’s what to do if you are involved in an accident as a witness, and why it’s important to keep track of everything.
Write down as much information as possible
The car is going away! Let’s say you’re walking, grab your phone and take a picture of your car or driver’s license plate. If you cannot, write down the make, model and color of the car (any details about the car are important). If possible, also write down any information about the driver himself, as well as the date and time of the incident. If you are driving, be sure to stop in a safe place before doing any of this.
On Reddit thread u / Revenant10-15 , a police officer explained why a witness is so important. “In my state, just because you are the registered owner of a vehicle does not make you responsible for what happens to that vehicle,” they wrote. Having a witness driving the car can make a huge difference in a case.
While this is probably out of the ordinary, you can also find out the names and numbers of other witnesses to the accident. And if it’s a serious collision that endangers the safety of others – for example, if liquids are leaking from a hit car or vehicles – call emergency services to take care of it.
If the driver is injured , do not attempt to move them unless they put them at risk of vehicle fire, as Prepared recommends (moving them can exacerbate the injury). Call 911 and listen to their instructions. If the driver is already out of the car, ask him to step to the side of the road and sit or lie down to avoid the danger of passing vehicles.
Leave a note
If there is no driver, write down any information you can remember and include your name and contact information.
As Get Jerry recommends, if you’re in a hurry, just write down your contact information and mention what you witnessed (you can discuss the details later, but be sure to write down the details so you don’t forget them!)
The note can be left under the wiper; if it rains, it is best to leave it in a zippered bag or other sealed plastic bag.
If the driver of the damaged vehicle is there, exchange contact information and let them know that you can provide details as a witness when the time is right.
Provide information to the driver’s insurance company.
Sometimes the driver will ask you to provide a witness report to the police. In theory, you can file a report yourself, but sometimes it’s better to let the driver deal with this side of the matter.
However, after a few months, you will most likely be contacted by the driver’s insurance company (or, if another driver is found, both insurance companies). It’s pretty simple: you make a statement about what happened. As Geiko recommends, just be factual and agree with your statements.
Publish to local sites
If you haven’t heard from the driver (perhaps the note was lost or the car was parked there for a long time), it doesn’t hurt to post on neighboring sites such as Craigslist or NextDoor , explaining that you were a witness to the accident. Also include the make and model of the car in case a neighbor can recognize the car.
Ultimately, your job as a witness is to provide as much information as possible – you may one day find yourself in the position of this car owner and be sure to thank the passer-by for doing this on your behalf.