When you see a major car accident on Indiana roads, what is the best thing to do, and what are the right actions to take? While you want to make sure that everyone involved gets help and medical care immediately, it is also important that you don't become a victim of the accident as well. In addition, being a witness to a traffic accident means that you may have information about the crash that is important to investigators. Here's what to do:
Call 911. The most important action to take after witnessing a car accident is to make certain that medical professionals and emergency responders are on their way. If calling from a cell phone in your car, be sure not to become distracted from driving while looking for your phone and placing the call.
Understand how dangerous the shoulder of the road is. If you stop, park your car a safe distance away from the crash, and get as far off of the shoulder as you can. If possible, try to warn oncoming vehicles of the accident ahead while staying as far away from traffic as you can. Utilize flares if you have them, and be especially careful at night.
Don't move injury victims unless you have to. Moving a seriously injured accident victim can cause more harm than good, and approaching the accident scene can be dangerous.
Let emergency workers do their job. When help arrives, it is best to stay out of their way and not confuse the scene.
Don't leave the scene without speaking with an officer. After the injured have been helped, make sure to speak with a police officer and give them your story and contact information. You may know more about what happened than the people involved in the crash.
Write down what you remember. As soon as possible after the incident, write down everything you remember occurring before, during, and after the crash. Draw diagrams if you can.
If you have information about a recent Indiana traffic accident, be sure to call the Indiana State Police to share what you know with investigators. If you have been involved in an IN car accident and need legal assistance, call the Indianapolis personal injury attorneys at Keller & Keller LLP today.