Night crash on the N3 near Pouma
At 22:30 on the N3 near Pouma, in heavy rain, the driver of a 32-t flatbed loaded with timber comes around a left-hand bend and finds a minibus on its side across his lane, with no lights and no warning triangle. He brakes hard and stops about 15 m short, partly on the shoulder. He can see at least six people: one is lying motionless on the tarmac, one is screaming with a bleeding leg, and others are walking dazed. A small group of onlookers is gathering on the road. There is a smell of petrol and a broken jerrycan near the minibus. The driver's own truck is blocking part of the lane; there is no street lighting, and traffic is still coming around the bend. He has a first-aid kit, a fire extinguisher, two warning triangles, a torch and a mobile phone.
1. What are the driver's priorities in the first 60 seconds, in order?
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The first priority is not to create a second crash. The driver should stop clear of the wreck as far as the shoulder allows, switch on hazard lights, switch off the engine, apply the parking brake and take the keys. He should keep his headlights on to illuminate the scene but avoid dazzling oncoming traffic.
Next, warn traffic before the bend. Take the two triangles and the torch, walk back along the shoulder facing traffic, and place one triangle about 30 m behind the truck and the second before the bend, where approaching drivers will see it. If the bend makes that unsafe, use the torch and arm signals from a safe position. Do not turn his back on traffic.
Then call the emergency services - police or gendarmerie and the fire service - and give the exact location, the number of casualties, the fuel spill and the fact that the lane is blocked.
Finally, control the scene: keep onlookers back, stop anyone smoking near the petrol, and send someone reliable to wave traffic down from a safer point. He should not move casualties unless there is an immediate fire risk, and he should not move the minibus.
2. How should the driver treat the motionless casualty and the casualty with the bleeding leg, and what must he not do?
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For the motionless casualty, approach carefully and check for response: shout, tap the shoulders. If there is no response, open the airway and check breathing for up to ten seconds. If the casualty is breathing, place them in the recovery position and keep the airway clear; monitor continuously because breathing can stop. If there is no normal breathing, start chest compressions and send for an ambulance and, if possible, an AED. Do not move the casualty to a vehicle or sit them up unless there is fire or another immediate danger.
For the bleeding leg, put on gloves if available, expose the wound and apply firm direct pressure with a sterile dressing or the cleanest cloth available. Add padding over the dressing and press again if it soaks through; do not remove the original pad. Elevate the leg if there is no suspected fracture and keep the casualty warm and calm. Do not give food or drink. Do not use a tourniquet unless the bleeding is life-threatening and he has been trained to use one. Do not pull out any embedded object; press around it.
Throughout, talk to the casualties, keep them still and monitor breathing. The petrol smell means no smoking, no naked flame and no starting of vehicles near the spill.
3. What legal and documentation steps should follow once the immediate emergency is under control?
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The driver should remain at the scene until the police or gendarmerie arrive and authorize departure. He should report the crash, give his identity, licence, vehicle registration, insurance details and a factual account of what he saw and did. He should not admit liability or speculate about fault; that is for the investigation and insurers.
He should record the scene while waiting: photographs of the vehicle positions, the lack of lighting or warning triangle, the fuel spill, skid marks, the weather and the road layout. Collect names and phone numbers of witnesses and note the time of the call to the emergency services. If the timber load has shifted, secure it before moving, and check the truck for damage.
After the police report, he should complete the insurance accident declaration or constat with the other parties if they are present, and notify his employer and insurer within the period set by the policy. Keep the first-aid kit, the used dressings and the triangle placement in mind for the company's internal report. If the minibus was unlit and unmarked, that evidence should be preserved early, because it will matter for both the criminal and insurance files. Finally, he should not resume the journey until he has rested and the truck is confirmed roadworthy.