If you can, treat the first few hours like an evidence mission.
- Get checked and documented. Urgent care or ER records create an anchor for what injuries you actually sustained.
- Record specifics while memory is fresh. Note the direction of travel, lane position, vehicle color/make/model cues, and anything unique (damage pattern, lights, exhaust sound).
- Photograph more than the damage. Include traffic signals nearby, road conditions, skid marks if visible, and where you ended up.
- Identify nearby cameras right away. In Washington, UT, many crashes occur near businesses, apartment complexes, and retail corridors where cameras may retain footage for a limited time.
- Request the police report number. Even if the driver isn’t found immediately, the report becomes a key piece of your timeline.
Waiting to act can make it harder to connect your injuries to the crash—especially when the driver disappears.


