If you are passing an accident

Be safe. Prevent a second accident and pull your car completely off of the road. Make sure there are no electrical lines or chemicals that might injure yourself or others.

Get more help. If you can, call 9-1-1 and report the accident (what happened, where it happened, etc.). Don’t hang up until the dispatcher tells you that you can; he or she may need more information. If you cannot call, ask the next person to go and call for help.

Identify serious injuries. EMS uses the term “triage” (a French word for sorting) to identify the most seriously injured patients and then treat them first. Difficulty breathing, severe bleeding and altered mental status are some of the signs that a patient needs immediate emergency care.

Do NOT move the injured unless they are immediate danger of further injury. For example, don’t try to remove them from a car unless the car is in danger of catching fire. Don’t move the patient’s head (no pillows to make them comfortable!) unless you need to in order to maintain their ability to breathe.

Know some basic first aid so you can care for the injured where they are until help arrives.