Post-Auto Accident Procedures
This is not the first time he’s done that! Click the pic for the full video
Whoooo boy are there a lot of lessons to pull out of this video. First a word from our sponsors….Wait a minute, I don’t have any sponsors. So, let’s just get to it.
Like most videos of this sort, we don’t see everything that happened before the incident, but there’s enough here to make some observations. This is a classic “car problems” scenario. When driving people frequently feel entitled, especially when they are tooling about in their prize possession. Traffic signs? Optional. Common courtesy or a touch of grace? Forget about it! I have places to go NOW. “Don’t you know who I am” syndrome is a big thing in the Northern Virginia/DC area. Not good attitudes to have when you’re interacting with society at 45+mph.
Preclusion
Both parties involved in this incident could have taken measures to have avoided this highly consequential outcome. The off-duty officer could have sighed, tapped his brakes and let the other car in. This may have delayed his arrival at his destination by 8 seconds or so. The other car could have signaled a lane change and slowed down a bit and worked his way over. Yes, it would have meant that a little pride would have had to be swallowed, and grace granted. A spoon full of sugar in the form of not killing someone helps that medicine go down.
After Accident Tactics, Techniques and Procedures
After a fender-bender or “rubbing is racing” incident of this nature both parties generally pull to the side to access damage, exchange information and await the eventual arrival of the police. That is an opportunity for you to really assess the person you’re interacting with. I am fond of saying that “movement is eloquent communication”, and if you see doors fly open and a party, or parties, immediately march towards you with an angry look on their face(s), well, that’s an indicator of a problem. This would be an excellent time to unbuckle, pick up the phone, call 911…AND STAY IN THE CAR! Hold up an INDEX (note the specificity there) finger while you’re talking to the dispatcher. This indicates that you have called the authorities and will communicate further with them in just a minute. STAY ON THE LINE and STAY IN THE CAR. This may give the other party time to cool off a bit while keeping you more secure. Keep the engine running and the car in gear and be prepared to leave the scene. Having to explain to the responding officers why you left the scene of an accident is infinitely preferable to having to invoke your 5th Amendment rights after a defensive shooting.
Unfortunately, they have an alternate courses of action, which would be to try to break your window to get at you, or just shoot you where you sit. Being unbuckled at this point is crucial because you’re going to have to execute the seated draw stroke you’ve perfected, create space and shoot from that retention position you’ve been practicing. (You have practiced this, right?) Know the law in your state. Some states extend the “Castle Doctrine” to vehicles, meaning that you’re fighting to protect your home, which is your vehicle at that moment. Others aren’t so understanding.
Keep your eyes on the REAL problem
If you do get out of the car, remain focused on the other party until they have revealed their intentions. You can generally tell this by the look of despair and resignation that will be on their faces, as well as the proximity they attempt to establish with you. This is NOT the time to look at how badly your vehicle was damaged. Let the insurance adjustor do that.
The off-duty officer in this case essentially ignored the real problem and went to check his fender. That took his eyes from the person that immediately became his assailant. One moment he was looking at minor damage, the next he was pistol-whipped, the next, shooting at someone that had a gun pointed at him. Just. Like. That. Watch the lamppost in the background. See the bullet impact? Do you see the bullet impact on the assailant’s car? Performance under fire can easily degrade. Unlike our firing line training, the target moved after being shot and then reappeared again around the front of the car, still willing to fight and determined to kill.
Comfort with Violence
Watching the video again in slow motion I can confidently say that is NOT the first time that man had employed the Greg Ellifritz approved technique for pistol whipping someone. That is a significant gap…us normies don’t normally pistol whip people to express a little angst. There are people out there that this is their default response to being a little peeved. You just don’t know who you’re dealing with and getting a hard read on their emotional state can be difficult…but again in this case the tells were there.
Exchanging Information and The Little White Lie
After an accident it is routine for normal people to exchange information while waiting for the police. Back in the day we used pieces of paper. It’s true! Now people pull up their insurance information on their phones and take pictures of licenses, etc. Either way we need to take care when letting people get close enough to perform that task. Maybe we should wait for the cops to show up first? If you must exchange information, lay the documents/phone out on the hood of the car and take turns recording. Keeping a vehicle between you and the other party puts an obstacle between the parties. Remember that movement is eloquent communication.
How do you handle an emotional contact? Craig Douglas of Shivworks has positively defined the way to manage unknown contacts (MUC), but if someone is in an emotional state, well, that is a different kettle of fish because you know something about them. There’s a little less ambiguity. You need to talk this person down. Consider apologizing. This will cause insurance agents and possibly your defense attorney to have a heart attack, but they are not on the cusp of having to fight someone by the side of the road. “I am so sorry! This was my fault.” When the officer arrives, that is the time for you to tell your side, preferably in private. Them: “BUT HE SAID HE WAS AT FAULT!” You: “Yes, because you were on the verge of hitting me and I did what I had to do to de-escalate that situation.”
Remember that emotional states can be highly transitory. A person manifesting calm demeanor one moment can be a raging lunatic the next after they’ve considered the situation. MAINTAIN DISTANCE!
Have a dashcam installed
Preferably one that captures the front, rear and inside of your vehicle. Caution: If you are of the habit of scrolling on your phone you can record yourself engaged in distracted driving and that will NOT look good in court.
Leaving the scene and Rolling Road Rage
Earlier I mentioned the criteria for leaving the scene of an accident. Using he skinny pedal on the right might just trigger someone to get in their car and follow you…aggressively. I have seen this in several instances. They may even try to pull an Arkansas State Police style “pit” maneuver. At this point call 911 and inform them that you are being aggressively pursued and your location. I can’t offer much more advice than that, but just know that you’re dealing with a maniac and all bets are off.
Furthermore, and in conclusion…
There are layers upon layers of small things in these situations, the sum of which may be the difference between being inconvenienced and being dead. The arrival of “friends” or onlookers that want to involve themselves. A long delay before the cops show up. An injury requiring immediate attention. Extracting an injured driver or passenger. All of this and more can happen but remember your mission. Just Get Home.
Additional Resources:
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD1sh6sFk-Y
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZId64sFGPY&t=2s
3. I actually offer a class dealing with these situations!
