What To Do if You Witness a Car Accident in Las Vegas

Since Las Vegas is a bustling city and a tourist destination, car crashes are common in the area. It’s important to know what steps you should take if you witness a car crash. Keep reading to learn about what to do if you witness a car accident in the Las Vegas area.

What To Do After Witnessing a Las Vegas Car Accident

The Las Vegas area is filled with locals and tourists constantly visiting and driving around town. The busy environment of Vegas often leads to more crashes for motorists on the road. Here are some steps to take if you witness a car crash to help everyone involved.

Pull Over

If you witness a car accident, the first thing to do is pull over. If you’re driving, move your car to a safe area on the side of the road. Stay at least 100 feet from the crash site. Keep your headlights on the entire time.

Call 911

Does the scene include deployed airbags, a motorcyclist, multiple cars, or apparent injuries? In this case, it’s essential to call 911 as soon as possible. Be prepared to tell the responder any relevant information, such as the location of the collision.

Get Help

Once you’ve calmed down and the scene is safe, cautiously check out the crash scene. Help everyone else safely get over to the side of the road. Make sure all vehicles’ ignitions are off and offer to help anyone you can.

Please do not touch or move anyone at the scene who may be injured unless you have to get them to a safer location. If the scene is otherwise safe, moving a victim could cause more physical harm. Try to wait for first responders to arrive and do their jobs.

Leave Helmets On

Leave the rider’s helmet on if the accident involves a motorcycle, as removing it could cause severe harm. Don’t even remove the helmet if the rider has no pulse or isn’t breathing. Instead, perform compressions to the chest until medical responders arrive.

Reassure

If a conscious person seems injured, let the person know that you have help coming. Tell the person to remain still until help arrives while reassuring the victim that service is on the way. This can help everyone involved in the accident remain calm until responders arrive.

Give a Statement and Leave Your Contact Information

If you witness a car accident in Las Vegas, you are an official witness to the collision. Stay at the scene until the police arrive. Then, be prepared to give them a statement. While providing your information, be sure to remain objective and honest.

You may also give your contact information to police officers and those involved in the crash. Later, you may be contacted by law enforcement officers, medical professionals, insurance agents, or personal injury attorneys to help them learn more about the accident.

What Should I Do if I Witness a Hit and Run in Las Vegas?

If you witness a car accident and a driver leaves without waiting for law enforcement or giving the other driver their information, this is called a hit and run. This is a crime in all states, including Nevada. After witnessing a hit and run in Las Vegas, here are some steps to take.

Call the Police

If you witness a car accident that turns into a hit and run, call 911 immediately. The operator will send the police to the scene to take an accident report. This makes it simpler for them to be on the lookout for the suspect who left the scene illegally.

Typically, police aren’t as aggressive about looking for these suspects when the crash only involves property damage. But when someone suffers bodily harm, it becomes more essential to find the suspect to charge the driver with a crime.

Share Details About the Suspect Driver

Any information you share with the police about the crash and the hit-and-run driver could be helpful. Here are some details the police officers will need:

  • Car make and model.
  • Color of the car.
  • Full or partial license plate number.
  • Description of the hit-and-run driver, such as race, gender, hair color, hairstyle, etc.
  • Distinguishing car features, such as broken taillight, bumper stickers, window decals, etc.
  • The direction the suspect drove off in.

Once the police have these details, they can put a bulletin out on the offending vehicle. They share this information with other law enforcement officers and the general public so people can report information about the accident later. This can help law enforcement find the offender.

Stay at the Scene

Never chase a hit-and-run driver. This mistake may lead you to make some blunders of your own on the road, such as swerving in traffic and speeding to catch up with the offender. Once the driver realizes you’re chasing the vehicle, that person’s driving may become much more aggressive and erratic as they try to get away from you. This could put you and other drivers in a dangerous situation.

Instead of chasing the driver, stay at the scene of the accident. Before the driver speeds away, try to memorize details about the driver and the car, such as the driver’s physical description and the car’s license plate number.

Take Photos of the Scene

As long as it’s safe, take pictures and videos of the crash site. This will be very useful to anyone trying to reconstruct the collision, such as insurance adjusters or personal injury attorneys.

As you take photos and videos, try to capture important details like:

  • Vehicle damage.
  • Skid marks.
  • Anything the driver struck before and after the hit and run.

De Castroverde Personal Injury & Accident Lawyers

If you’ve been a victim of a hit and run or any type of car accident in Las Vegas, you need attorneys who know personal injury law. Contact us today to learn more about your next steps and to schedule a free consultation.