Intimidation at the scene of a road accident

An accident scene can be a very stressful place to be. There may be a dispute over who believed who was at fault and this can often cause tempers to flare up. At any crash scene it is important to try and stay calm and deal with any injured parties as a matter of priority.

However sometimes people can become aggressive and intimidating at the scene, and in some cases try to harass you after the event. Because you have to exchange details following any accident by law, this unfortunately means that the other party will have access to both your telephone number and address details, which in some cases can lead to the possibility of intimidation.

If you reported the circumstances of the accident to your insurer and the police honestly and in good faith, then do not let anyone attempt to influence or intimidate you into changing your account of what happened. If you did it would certainly be regarded with a great deal of suspicion from the police, and many more questions will be asked.

What should I do if I am being intimidated?

If you feel you are being intimidated, either at the scene, or during the days or weeks that follow, you should inform the police. Intimidation of a witness is illegal, and you must never let someone frighten you into doing or saying anything that you do not believe to be true.

Contact the police and let them know exactly what's happening. Keep a note of the date and time of any phone calls or 'unexpected visits' from the individual concerned and details of any conversations that took place. If the individual persists with their intimidation they may be charged with 'intimidating a witness' by the police and this charge will be included along with any other offences if the case goes to court.

Fortunately aggressive behaviour at the scene of an accident is not very common. Hopefully when the police arrive they will be able to witness the drivers behaviour and calm the person down. If the police are not at the scene and the individual drives off without leaving their details, try to at least to get the registration of the vehicle, this will help the police trace the vehicle. Also try to recall as much detail about the individual and the vehicle they were driving when you speak to the police.

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