What to do After Witnessing a Car Accident

This past Saturday there was a crash involving three vehicles and an armored truck. The accident occurred in Houston, Texas. Two people were injured, and one individual is currently in critical condition.

According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, over 37,000 people in the United States die each year due to car accidents. An additional 2.3 million are injured or disabled after a car wreck each year. Car accidents can happen suddenly, and most people don’t expect it to happen to them.

Witnessing A Crash

Millions of car accidents happen each year in the United States. The large number of accidents that occur each year means that most people, at some point, will be affected by a collision directly or indirectly. Many of us will witness a crash in the course of our lives as well, so it is important to know what you should do in that situation.

What You Should Do:

• Call 911. Have your location and a description of the scene so they can send the correct responders to help.
• Evaluate the scene to see if it is dangerous to move closer (look for gasoline or other substances).
  • If a large truck is involved, check the placard number on the side with your phone to determine if it contains a dangerous chemical/material.

• After assessing the scene, you should see if you can help those in the accident if you have medical training or have emergency response experience.

It is important that if you do not feel confident in your ability to help the situation, then you should stay at a safe distance so that you do not make it worse.