Car accidents are a scary experience for everyone involved, whether you’ve caused the accident by not hitting the brakes quickly enough or you’re involved by someone rear ending your vehicle.
For people who may be in a situation where they’re about to be caught for intoxicated driving through a RIDE program or they believe they’re the reason behind a collision, their first thought might be to escape the situation. But it’s important to stop yourself from that response because it may become more dangerous for everyone involved and the consequences will be worse when you’re caught.
A 16-year-old man died last November after he tried to escape an OPP RIDE check. After talking with officers at the checkpoint, the teen drove off and cops pursued him since they suspected he was driving while intoxicated. Unfortunately, the chase ended tragically when the teen ran a red light and hit a hydro pole at a speed between 161 km/h to 186 km/h. The teen was badly injured and he was declared dead at the hospital.
Another drunk driver attempted to escape the scene of a fatal car accident last June and he tried to bribe witnesses before he was arrested. The drunk driver, who was driving with a suspended licence from unpaid fines, ran a red light and T-boned another vehicle. The driver in the T-boned vehicle sustained four broken ribs and a broken arm, while the passenger was killed on impact. The injured drunk driver was helped out of the vehicle by witnesses, but then made a run for it before he was stopped by three witnesses. The drunk driver has since been sentenced to five years in prison and a 15-year driving ban after his time served after he pled guilty to drunk driving causing death and his failure to remain at the scene of a crash.
The driver in a hit and run in May faces upgraded charges after she was allegedly involved in an incident at Kensington Market. The victim, who later succumbed to injuries, was getting into a cab when he was struck by a vehicle. The female driver who hit him was arrested by police a day later. She’s been charged with impaired driving causing death, dangerous driving causing death and failing to stop causing bodily harm resulting in death.
If you’re involved in a car accident, whether it’s with another vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist or motorcyclist, first stop and make sure everyone is OK. If you don’t stop, the police could file criminal charges against you.
If someone is injured, call 911. If no one is injured, your next step should be to assess the total damage done to your vehicle and the other person’s. If the total damage looks to be more than $1,000 or you suspect the other driver may be driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, then you need to call the police.
Take pictures of the incident and if you can, move your vehicles out of traffic or turn on your hazard lights. Get the personal information of the driver, including names, addresses, a telephone number, driver’s license information, license plate information and insurance information. Also, check if there are any witnesses and if so, gather their personal information including names, addresses and phone numbers.
While you may be scared or angry, it’s important to handle the situation in a calm manner.
Motor vehicle accidents happen and accident benefits are available to anyone involved in a car accident regardless of who caused the accident. The personal injury and accident lawyers at Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers have been dealing with all accident related issues throughout Ontario for over 45 years. We know how to get you the compensation that you deserve and get your life back in order after being in a car accident. Call us at 416-920-4242, set up a free consultation, and come speak with us.