How to behave after witnessing an accident

A collision crash is always a difficult situation for the victim whose face, vehicle or property was involved. Hit-and-run situations are especially difficult to deal with when there is no one around to witness the accident and help prove the cause.

In most places hit-and-run is considered a serious crime and may include felony charges. Most of the legal consequences are very serious and depend on the size of the damage, the nature of the crime and, of course, whether someone was injured or killed. Consequences include suspension, revocation or revocation of the offender's driver's license, revocation of insurance policies, and/or imprisonment.

No one wants to be in a situation where they have to defend themselves under unprovable and unfortunate circumstances. Failure to prove guilt in an accident, such as a hit-and-run, can result in insurance companies denying coverage, leaving the victim with potentially exorbitant bills.

It's important to get involved if you've witnessed a hit-and-run to protect the victim's liability and help the authorities solve the case as soon as possible.

Follow the steps below to learn how to react after you witness a traffic accident.

Part 1 of 3: How to react if you witness damage to a parked car

Step 1: Write down the details of the incident. If you happen to witness a parked car being hit, pay close attention to the reaction of the person who hit the car.

Stay passive and wait. If the person leaves without leaving a note on the victim's car, try to remember as much as you can about the vehicle, including the color, make and model of the vehicle, license plate, time and place of the incident.

Write this information down as soon as possible so you don't forget it.

• Functions: If possible, take photographs of the incident, including the perpetrator's car, to document it and provide any necessary evidence of damage.

If the runaway driver is still acting recklessly, call the police and have them look for the vehicle involved in the hit. Make sure you include what part of the vehicle might be damaged, the direction it was heading in, and any other details that will help them find the perpetrator more efficiently.

Step 2: Give your details to the victim. If the perpetrator's car fled the scene, approach the victim's car and leave a note on the windshield with your name, contact information, and a report of what you saw, including information you remember about the other car.

If there are other witnesses around, try consulting with them to make sure you all remember the correct turn of events in the order in which they happened. Leave all your names and contact information in a note.

Step 3: Report the Incident. If you are in the parking lot with an attendant, report the incident to the attendant by leaving a note on the car.

Take them to the stage and introduce them to the events that took place by leading them through it.

If there is no valet or other community facility nearby, contact the authorities yourself and let them know what steps you have taken to help the victim by explaining what you saw. Give them your contact information for follow-up questions.

Step 4: Let the victim contact you. Wait for the victim to contact you, which means answering phone calls from unknown numbers if you don't normally do this. Be prepared to act as a witness for them if necessary.

Part 2 of 3: How to react if you witness damage to a moving vehicle

Step 1. Document the incident. If you see a hit-and-run incident where the driver responsible for the accident flees the scene, remain calm and try to remember everything about how it happened.

Try to remember the color, make and model, license plate of the car in question, time and place of the incident.

• Functions: If possible, take photographs of the incident, including the perpetrator's car, to document it and provide any necessary evidence of damage.

On the rare occasion that the person being hit does not notice that they have been hit, try to stop them so you can notify them of the damage, record the information, and contact the police.

Write down all the information you need as soon as possible so you don't forget it, and stay with them to testify to the police if needed.

Step 2: Go to the victim. If the car of the victim was hit, the perpetrator fled the scene, and the person was injured by the impact, contact him immediately. Assess the situation as best you can.

If the person or people are conscious, ask them about their injuries and calmly instruct them to remain in the position they are in to avoid further injury. Try to keep them calm in all situations, and therefore try to keep calm yourself.

• A warning: If you are not a doctor or the victim is bleeding profusely and you need help to stop excessive bleeding with pressure or a tourniquet, do not touch them in any case, so as not to damage them further.

Step 3: Call 911.. Call 911 immediately to report the incident, making sure to notify the authorities of the severity of the situation.

If you are busy caring for a victim and there are other bystanders around, have someone call 911 as soon as possible.

Step 4: Stay where you are until the police arrive.. Always remain at the scene of the crime and be prepared to complete a detailed witness statement listing the chain of events as they occur, including details of the perpetrator's vehicle and the direction in which he fled the scene.

Provide the police with all your contact information so they can contact you if necessary.

Part 3 of 3: How to react when a car hits a pedestrian

Step 1: Report the incident to the authorities. If you witness an incident where a pedestrian(s) is hit by a vehicle that then fled the scene, try to remain calm and record as much information about the vehicle as possible.

• Functions: If possible, take photographs of the incident, including the perpetrator's car, to document it and provide any necessary evidence of damage.

Call the police immediately and give them all the details of the incident. Try to include the color, make and model, license plate of the car, time and place of the incident, and the direction of the offender's car.

• Functions: If there are other witnesses, ask one of them to take a picture if you are on the phone with the police.

Instruct the 911 operator to send an ambulance(s) to the scene. Approach the victim and try to assess his condition as best as possible, while reporting this to the police in real time.

Try to stop any oncoming traffic that may not notice them on the road.

Step 2: Go to the victim. If the pedestrian is conscious, ask about their injuries and try not to move to avoid further injury.

• A warning: If you are not a doctor or the victim is bleeding profusely and you need help to stop excessive bleeding with pressure or a tourniquet, do not touch them in any case, so as not to damage them further.

Try to keep them calm in all situations, and therefore try to keep calm yourself. Let the emergency operator know what the casualty is saying.

Step 3: Stay where you are until the police arrive.. When the police and other rescuers arrive on the scene, be prepared to complete a detailed witness statement listing the chain of events as they happened, including information about the perpetrator's car and the direction in which he fled the scene.

Include all your contact information with the police so they can contact you for any follow-up as a witness.

Always be vigilant and remember the importance of recording all information before, during and after a collision.

Contact the authorities or any other person who can offer additional assistance as soon as possible after the event. Also remember that any help you can give, no matter how big or small, can be invaluable to the victim.