In the first hours after a crash, your priorities should be safety and documentation, not statements to anyone who shows up with questions.
1) Get medical care—even if you feel “okay.” Soft-tissue injuries, concussions, and internal trauma can develop or worsen later. In Oregon, timing matters because insurers often look for consistency between the crash and your symptoms.
2) Call police and request a report number. A report creates an official record that can later support insurance and legal steps.
3) Preserve what you can while it still exists. Newberg residents often rely on nearby property cameras (homes, businesses, and shopping areas) and passing traffic footage. Those systems may overwrite quickly.
If you’re able, write down:
- approximate time and location (near a driveway, intersection, parking lot, or roadside)
- direction you were traveling
- vehicle description (color, make/model if known, dents/lighting details)
- anything you heard (squealing tires, horn, engine revving)
- witness names/contact info
4) Don’t guess when you talk to insurance. It’s okay to say you don’t know something. Avoid speculating about speed, fault, or injury severity.


