Night collision with an unconscious motorcyclist
At 23:10 a driver of a 26 t rigid truck carrying bagged cement is travelling at 60 km/h on an unlit two-lane road. A motorcyclist crosses from a side track and is struck. The cyclist lies unconscious in the lane with a bleeding leg; the motorcycle is 15 m behind the truck. The truck stops 40 m past the impact with hazard lights on. Traffic is passing in both directions. The driver has a reflective vest, a warning triangle, a first-aid kit, a fire extinguisher and a phone with 10% battery. The driver is uninjured but shaken. There is no street lighting, and the road curves 80 m before the scene. A passenger in a passing car stops and offers to take the injured person to hospital in his private car. The driver does not know whether the truck's cargo has shifted.
1. What are the driver's immediate priorities in the first few minutes?
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First protect the scene, then call for help, then give first aid within his training. Put on the reflective vest, keep hazard lights on, and place the warning triangle well before the curve - at least 100 m if it can be done safely, plus any additional warning available - so approaching traffic has time to slow. Use a torch or phone light to signal. Call police and ambulance with the precise location, direction, number of casualties and hazards. Check the cyclist's response and breathing; control severe leg bleeding with direct pressure using gloves or a clean dressing. Do not remove the helmet, do not give food or water, and do not move the casualty unless there is immediate danger such as fire or a second collision. Keep the casualty warm and monitor breathing until help arrives.
2. Should the driver accept the passing car's offer to take the injured person to hospital? Explain.
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No, not as the default. An unconscious casualty may have spinal injuries, and moving him into a private car without a stretcher, collar or trained control can worsen the injury. The car has no emergency equipment, no trained crew and no protection at the scene. The correct action is to keep the casualty still, control bleeding and wait for an ambulance while traffic is managed. The exception is immediate danger that cannot be controlled - for example fire, leaking fuel or the truck about to be hit - when an emergency evacuation to save life is justified. If the casualty must be moved, the driver should record who moved him and where. The offer can be used to send someone for help, but not to replace an ambulance for an unconscious trauma patient.
3. What should the driver do about the vehicle, cargo and evidence after the injured person is handed to the emergency services?
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Do not move the truck unless it is creating an immediate danger or the police direct it. It is part of the collision scene, and moving it can destroy evidence and change the position of the motorcycle. Keep hazard lights on and maintain traffic control until police arrive. Check from a safe distance whether the cement load has shifted; if the load is unstable, tell the police and keep people away rather than trying to restack it. Exchange details with the motorcyclist's family or police, note witnesses and take photographs only if it is safe and does not interfere with rescue. Report the collision to the company immediately, record the time, location, injuries, weather and lighting, and preserve the tachograph or any electronic driving data. Do not admit liability at the scene; give facts to the police.