Policy Text
Field Services Page 1 of 3 06/09 (REV 1/04)
Vehicle Accident Scenes
The purpose of this order is to establish policy and procedure for patrol officers to follow
at the scene of a vehicle accident. I. General
A. The primary objecti ve will be the protec tion of life and pro perty. Officers
coming across an accident scene s hould stop and render assistan ce
unless responding to a higher pri ority emergency call or the re sponsible
agency has control of the accident scene and does not require a ssistance.
B. Within the county there are numerous agencies that are respo nsible for
vehicle collisions within thei r jurisdiction. In general the “ responsible
agencies” are as follows:
1. CHP – Unincorporated areas in the county
2. Police Departments – Incor porated areas and special district s in the
county
II. Responsible Agency Not On-scene - Injury Accident
A. Park the patrol vehicle so that the emergency lights give th e maximum
amount of warning and protection.
B. Advise the dispatcher of the location, nature, and descripti on of involved
vehicles, including license plates. Request any needed assista nce (Fire,
Responsible agency, SMUD, and etc.).
C. If possible, remedy any immedi ately hazardous situation, to prevent
further injury or death.
D. If there are injuries, dete rmine the extent and call for fir e/medical
personnel, if needed.
E. Do not move victims unless abs olutely necessary. Administer first aid until
the arrival of medical personnel.
Field Services Page 2 of 3 06/09 (REV 1/04) F. After providing first-aid, a lleviate other hazards that can cause additional
accidents and/or injuries. Pre serve the scene and warn traffic of hazards
when appropriate.
1. If necessary, place warning fl ares (using caution to make ce rtain
that no gasoline or other flamma ble substance is present).
2. Provide traffic control if needed.
G. Obtain the names, addresses and drivers' licenses of the sub jects
involved and identify any witnesses. Advise them to stay at th e scene and
wait for the responsible agency.
H. DO NOT move the vehicles unl ess absolutely necessary (road h azards,
and etc.) or advised to do so by the responsible agency.
I. Advise the Communications Cent er to notify the responsible a gency of the
need for tow trucks and how many.
J. Upon arrival of the responsib le agency, ascertain if Sheriff 's Department
assistance will be needed.
III. Responsible Agency Not On- scene - Non-injury Accident
A. Park the patrol vehicle so that the emergency lights give th e maximum
amount of warning and protection.
B. Advise the dispatcher of the location, nature, and descripti on of involved
vehicles, including license plates. Request any needed assista nce (Fire,
Responsible Agency, SMUD, and etc.)
C. Alleviate immediate hazards that can cause additional accide nts and/or
injuries. After determining t here have been no injuries, remed y any other
hazardous situations.
1. If necessary, place warning fl ares (using caution to make ce rtain
that no gasoline or other flamma ble substance is present).
2. Provide traffic control.
3. Update the Communications Center of the extent of damage to
vehicles.
D. Ascertain if the responsible agency is responding and their ETA. Secure
the scene until the responsible a gency arrives or advises other wise.
Field Services Page 3 of 3 06/09 (REV 1/04) E. If appropriate, move vehicles to a secure area on the side o f the road or
parking lot, etc. Request through t he Communications Center a tow truck
only by request of the parties inv olved. If the parties refuse a tow request,
the responsible agency will be re quested to respond and advised that a
tow is needed.
F. The responsible agency should be notified that a collision o ccurred in their
jurisdiction, even if it is a non-injury, minor collision. If the responsible
agency elects not to respond and/ or the parties do not request the
responsible agency, deputies will facilitate the exchange of th e following
information:
1. Driver's license
2. Registration
3. Insurance
4. Vehicle Information
G. Officers should confirm the appropriate information prior to allowing
parties to exchange information or leave. This includes verify ing that all
parties involved have a valid driver’s license, insurance, and vehicle
registration. If one or both par ties are unlicensed or uninsur ed, then the
responsible agency will be requested to respond.
IV. Responsible Agency On-sc ene - Injury or Non-injury
When coming upon an accident scene and the responsible agency i s present,
officers are encouraged to inqui re whether or not they can assi st.
A. If assistance is requested, o fficers will advis e the Communi cation Center
that they will be assisting the responsible agency. Officers w ill render
such assistance as required.
B. If assistance is not requested , they shall promptly clear th e scene and
resume patrol duties.
V. Clearing The Scene - Responsibilities
In no case will any officer cl ear an accident scene unless the following criteria are
met:
A. The responsible agency has duly relieved the on-scene Sherif