Worth Mentioning? Witnessed Car Wreck

[runco]

Since there are some law enforcement folks here and others with great opinions, I have a question about should I have or should I have let it go type question.

 

Yesterday afternoon while traveling on the interstate humming alone at around 70 mph on a 3 lane portion, traffic is heavy, the vehicle in front of me suddenly without warning made evasive lane changes due to large bundles of rolled insulation that had just fallen off a truck in front of her.  The evasive lane change was too much and she lost control, swerved far right, far left, and then over corrected and went head on into the guardrail on the right.  I ended up hitting the bundle of insulation on the interstate, no damage, but the other car that wrecked had a mother and two daughters (maybe 11 yrs and maybe 6 yrs old, not sure).  As it turns out, they were okay, maybe shaken up pretty good.  The car was destroyed, heavy front end damage.  The impact caused the car to come to a rest in the middle lane.  The truck that dropped the insulation never stopped.

 

Here is the question, I witnessed in the rear view mirror as I was coming to stop to aide and assist, the 11 yr old girl suddenly dart from the car and run to the guardrail upon immediate coming to a stop of the wrecked car, I thought I saw her throw something over the guard rail.  I am not sure the car had even come to a complete stop either.  Was this worth mentioning to the arriving officer and does it matter?

 

As we waited on the officer, I checked on my family who was in our car just 50 feet or more from the wreck.  My wife asked me did that girl throw something, she had seen it too.  I went back to look, but did not see anything other than common trash along the area where I thought I saw her throw something.  When the officer arrived, which seemed like only a just a few minutes, he of course asked if they were hurt, and then he came to me see what I had seen.  As I explained how the wreck occurred, he took my name and number, and he said that I was free to go, but I did mention to him seperately after he said that I was free to go what I witnessed about the girl darting from the car.  He said, it was weird wasn't it.  I say yea it was weird, and told me again I was free to go.  Not sure if that mattered to the officer, the incident, or that was enough info for him to act.  I will probably never know what happened, doesn't matter, but why did the girl dart. 

[Trekbike]

I was free to go what I witnessed about the girl darting from the car. He said, it was weird wasn't it. I say yea it was weird, and told me again I was free to go. Not sure if that mattered to the officer, the incident, or that was enough info for him to act. I will probably never know what happened, doesn't matter, but why did the girl dart.

I'm not a LEO, but you did tell the officer about what you saw and to me your responsibility ends there. Based on your description of the wreck, I'm guessing it wasn't a contributing factor in the wreck.

[Spots]

I would bet money she was ditching drugs for her mom. Probably either weed or pills.

Sent from the backwoods

[Clod Stomper]

Most likely what Spots said. Sounds like she is full of fail. Can't drive, doing drugs, endangering her kids...

[Monkeyman2500]

I think you did the right thing. It maybe nothing but if the 11yr old knows to toss mommies drugs it's a lost cause anyway.

[Jonnin]

You should have mentioned it.   A friend of mine's home is in a nasty curve and they get regular accidents there, and a % of them toss things out.  It usually ends up being booze or drugs...  there is ZERO reason to discard ANYTHING after an accident unless the person was doing something wrong.  If they pooped or threw up or something, it would have taken longer to wipe up than you described, so it wasn't like they were throwing out something messy due to the accident, it pretty much had to be something illegal.    Which is dumb anyway... cops don't search a car in an accident like this one ... derp, officer, that roll of stuff came at me and I went to avoid it and lost control.   Investigation over, APB out on truck carrying insulation...

[bersaguy]

I think if you saw it you needed to mention it. If it was mothers drugs she is not doing her young children any justice by teaching them such things..............jmho

[TNWNGR]

You did exactly what you should have done and have the correct information. The officer correctly kept his comments on the non speculative side in only noting it was a bit weird. That works out well in court if a bunch of stuff turns up and the witness is limited in case information.