What to Do If You Witness an Accident

First of all don't just drive on and hope someone else will take care of it like 7 different drivers did at an intersection near my home recently!

Get the License Plate Number
Local police and not CIS and in most localities there are not nearly the number of cameras that TV depicts. In Fredericksburg, Virginia the police get call for 5-10 hit and runs a day and there is nothing they can do without a license plate number.

STOP!
Please do not assume that someone else is going to stop. Even if the bike rider looks okay stop! If you are afraid to stop call 911 and report the accident. Getting hit by a car causes trauma and it can take a few minutes or longer to realize that you are hurt.

Check for Life Threatening Injury
Quickly check the bicycle rider for responsiveness and big injuries. Ask "are you okay". Later on you will want to try and have a conversation to find out if he or she is disoriented but right now your checking for life threatening injuries. Check that the person is awake, breathing, and not bleeding a lot. You don't need first aid training to notice major injury. Call 9-1-1 if they aren't breathing!

Notice the Car and Driver Details
After you quickly check the status of the guy who was hit try to get the make, model and color of the car. Have someone write it down if possible. Remember that the life of the person who was hit is more important than catching the hit and run driver but the more you can notice during and in the first minutes after the accident the better.

Call 9-1-1
if anyone is unconscious, dizzy, bleeding or obviously injured.

Take Notes
If you got the license plate be sure to write it down. Make a note of anything you noticed about the make, model, driver etcetera. Send a text message, create a voice memo or call yourself and leave a voice message if you don't have pen and paper.

Report the Accident
If you didn't need to call 9-1-1 then now is the time to call the non emergency phone number for the police. If you don't know the number call 411 or ask a nearby business to look it up.

Stay With the Victim
If you have the time stay with the person who was hit until police arrive or they at least have a friend or family member come to pick them up. It is not a particularly safe idea to offer a stranger a ride or be in a secluded area with someone your don't know and always follow your instincts but thank you for at least stopping.