Q & A: What should a person do after a crash?

Q: Mom from the Facebook Group Parents of Teen Drivers: What should a person do after a crash?

A: Deputy Sheriff Shallenberger: At a scene of a crash, drivers should:

Put Safety 1st
Check yourself, your passengers and other vehicles for injuries. If there are no injuries and vehicles are drivable, move to the shoulder of the roadway out of traffic and turn on your emergency hazards. If injuries are reported, don’t move injured people to prevent further injuries.

Notify Police
Call 911 to report the crash and to advise if emergency medical services are needed. If there are no injuries, 911 will be able to advise drivers if police are needed to respond to handle the crash report. In some states, police departments have mandatory reports if crash damage exceeds a particular dollar amount. In Illinois for example, the law states each driver involved in a traffic crash must file a crash report if the crash caused a death, bodily injury, or more than $1,500 of property damage. Check your state’s requirements. If officers respond they’ll need a valid insurance card. Keep a current insurance card in the vehicle. If officers do not respond you’ll need to exchange information with the other driver.

Exchange Information
Do not leave the scene before exchanging information with the other drivers involved in the crash. If you leave the scene you may subject yourself to criminal charges even if there are only minor damages.

• Name, address and contact details.
• Driver’s license number.
• License plate number of the vehicles involved.
• Auto insurance information for the motorists involved.
• The names of other passengers in the vehicle.
• If you hit an unattended vehicle, you must make an effort to find the owner or driver, and follow these same procedures. If you are unable to locate the owner of an unattended vehicle, it’s best to call your local police and notify them of the incident.

Take Pictures
Without getting in the way of the police, take pictures and videos of the crash scene and visible damage. If you can’t get photos at the scene, take them as soon as you can afterward.

Notify Your Insurer and Start The Claims Process
If you can, call your insurance agent while you’re at the scene. That way, they can tell you exactly what they will need in order to process your claim.