First on Scene at a Motorcycle-Pedestrian Collision
At 19:30 on a dark two-lane road outside Bago you are the first vehicle to arrive at a collision. A motorcycle has struck a pedestrian. The rider, a man in his twenties, lies unconscious but breathing on his side; his full-face helmet is still on. The pedestrian is sitting on the road holding a bleeding right forearm; he is talking but dazed. The motorcycle is on its side, its engine still running and fuel dripping onto the road. Passing cars are swerving around the scene. You have a first-aid kit, a phone and a warning triangle. The road is unlit, traffic is moderate, and the nearest hospital is 12 km away. A small crowd is starting to gather and one man is trying to pull the rider's helmet off.
1. What are your first actions for scene safety and legal duty?
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Stop safely, switch on your hazard lights and put on the warning triangle well before the scene. Switch off the motorcycle ignition if you can do so without exposing yourself to traffic, and keep people away from the fuel with no smoking or naked flames. Call the emergency services and give the location, number of casualties and the fuel leak. Keep the crowd back so they do not move casualties or destroy evidence. As a driver involved in a collision with injury, you must stop, give reasonable assistance and exchange particulars; you should also report the collision to the police. Do not move the injured unless there is immediate danger such as fire or traffic.
2. How should you manage the unconscious breathing rider and the bleeding pedestrian?
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For the rider, check that the airway is open and that he is breathing. He is already on his side, which helps drainage; do not let the crowd pull the helmet off. A full-face helmet should normally be left on unless the airway is blocked or vomiting makes breathing impossible, and then removal needs two trained people supporting the head and neck. Monitor breathing continuously. For the pedestrian, put on gloves if available and press firmly on the forearm wound with a clean dressing; elevate the arm if no fracture is suspected. Check that fingers stay warm and pink. Keep him sitting and calm, treat for shock by keeping him warm, and hand over to the ambulance crew.
3. What information should you give the police and ambulance, and what should you avoid saying?
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Give precise facts: the road name and nearest landmark, the number of casualties, whether each is conscious and breathing, the fuel leak, the traffic hazard and what first aid you have done. Give your name, contact details and vehicle particulars. Avoid guessing who was at fault, avoid saying the rider was speeding unless you actually saw it, and avoid discussing insurance liability at the roadside. Those judgements belong to the investigation. Make a written note of what you saw and did as soon as possible, keep receipts for any expenses, and report the collision to your insurer. If you moved anything for safety, tell the police exactly what and why.