Cars doing spinouts in front of you and other close calls

Actually as a CDL holder you are obligated as "1st on the scene" to stop and assist until police / fire dept /officials, etc.. arrive to take over. You don't have to be involved in it and you can be cited for just passing by. Assist - as in calling 911 / police and trying to contain the accident so it won't escalate into a larger or more dangerous situation than what it already is. As for attending to the possibly injured I would get that authorization from 911 operator which will be recorded before proceeding. Some states/ local ordinance recognizes / have Good Samaritan Laws but some do not and you can be open to law suit later on.


For spin outs or minor fender benders, I just call 911 and go about my merry way. If the accident is more serious than I would probably stop.

A short story - I was in NE on I-80 west bound few yrs back. My logbook was fubar and we (3 trucks running together) were doing 80+ mph. A pickup pulling a boat trailer passed us and approx a trailer length in front of us rolled completely several times into the medium. The female driver of that vehicle was ejected in the roll, seemingly unhurt, got up and rush to the rear seat of that vehicle (child's car seat). All three trucks stopped on either shoulders w/ our flashers on (through CB communications) 1 driver ran out w/ fire extinguisher + water, other driver jumped out w/ road flares + emergency triangles and I remained in my truck communication w/ 911 to the exact accident location. (mile markers, etc...) We did everything like as if we rehearsed it many times but the truth was that we didn't know each other at all other than that each had a truck that could "roll". After the state troopers / emergency crews arrived we were on the side talking how screwed we'll be if we were actually involved the accident or even asked about our logs. We gave our accounts and our infos but cleared to go. The thought of a state trooper w/ our info in a place we weren't legally supposed to be in and possible ramification of how that could of went super sour by something we weren't the cause of...... Something to think about.

 

If there was a possibility of someone being injured I would think you have a moral responsibility to at the very least call it in and stop. I am not sure "getting authorization" from the 911 dispatcher would carry much weight because (only guessing here) they are probably not "authorized" to say that you can or can not attend to any injured.

 

Yes, any driver CDL or not are obligated to stop as first on a scene. It's almost impossible to prosecute, but you know you have a moral obligation at minimum. Now if it's minor and you see the drivers out walking around with a cell phone to the ear. Just use common sense and go on if neccessary.
I always take a mental note of each states emergency number posted.

It's been a few years back. I witnessed an old lady pull right out in front of another younger woman. She got Tboned right in the drivers door. I called 911 as I pulled over. The younger one was walking around crying as I approached. She said she was okay and I went to the car. The passenger door was locked and the drivers door was jammed. I was scared to move the lady. I held her hand through the broken window until the emergency vehicles arrived a few minutes later. They come like the calvery and did a great job getting her out. I knew the lady was okay but shooken up real bad. Smoke was coming from under the hood and a fireman was trying to extinguish a battery that fell over and was shorting out. I stood it up and took off the cable. He knew a whole bunch, lol.

I never heard anymore after I left. I think everyone was okay.
Something like that happens, your adreneline flows and you act by instinct and don't do a whole bunch of thinking.

 

Just last week I came up to a collision wherein a pickup had tried to turn on top of a little sedan. The pickup driver was out and walking around, but the driver door on the little car was mashed in, so that gal couldn't get out of her car. Since I was an EMT, I advised her to remain where she was and sit very still. I am trained to render aid in these situations, so I did what I was trained to do: stabilize her head and neck.

There was an off-duty paramedic on the scene. He and I exchanged niceties and got busy. We worked together as if we'd been partners for years even though we'd just met. But that's a side note.

With regard to stopping to help, I haven't seen where there is a requirement to stop. Sometimes the most helpful thing to do is to keep moving so you don't block the scene or get in the way. Sometimes it's to place your truck in a position as to protect the scene. However, if you do stop and begin to render aid, there is a legal obligation to remain there and help to the level of a "reasonable person" ...whatever that means. In most cases you will be protected by the so-called "good Samaritan" rule. If you stop to help and do not try to do stuff you're not trained to do or don't have the authority to do (like a tracheotomy or chest tube because you saw it on TV) you will be held blameless if anybody does try to sue. That said, a "reasonable person" would not allow the guy who just got out of the wreck on I-105 in Los Angeles to wander around on the freeway in his confusion and if you are the guy who let him go, you are open to lawsuit if he gets hurt.

Like everything else in modern American life, it's a balancing act. Do you stop to help or do you continue to roll....it's a choice only the individual faced with it at the time can make.

 

There's one other thing you possibly hadn't thought of. We are big rolling murals by and large. Very easy for the person having the accident to say "This big (insert name) truck hit me/ spun me and just drove off" as a way of possibly "excusing" themselves.

Uhuh, I see an accident right in front of me I stop and make sure the responding officer knows I called it in and was not involved as anything but a witness.

 

morally i think you should stop if people may be injured. as for worrying aout a driver saying you hit him, i wouldnt worry too much about that. if you didnt hit him he aint gonna be able to prove you did.....

 

You gotta worry about the rookie/make a name for myself officers. Case in point: A friend of mine, saw an accident. He made sure the people were ok. State police rolled in, didnt bother with the other people. He wanted my friends paper work, log book etc. My friend refused, on the grounds he wasnt involved. Trooper said he didnt care, he was the professinal driver and placing the blame on him. All of the people involved, came to his defense and told the trooper he had no fault, that he was there to help. Trooper didnt care, he had a thing for truckers. Well the Sgt finally got there and let my friend go. As for the trooper? Well it wasnt pretty. He got a good talking to by his Sgt.

So even if were not involved, yes some will try to blame us.

 

When I was out with my trainer there was a car that flipped over....it was in front of the pack...2 lanes of about 15 vehicles, several of which were trucks. We stopped, I called 911 and was told there were already several calls received. Some of the other truckers already had the family (Dad, Mom, twins) out of the car and nobody was hurt so we got back in our truck and kept going.