Collision Reporting Center Opens in Tucson
If you have been involved in a car accident in Tucson since 2011, the Tucson Police Department (TPD) likely did not send an officer to investigate or write a report of the accident. TPD stopped responding to auto accidents not involving serious injury due to staffing concerns, making it difficult to get a police report for motor vehicle accidents. Now TPD has opened the first Collision Reporting Center in Arizona as of May 30, 2018. The Collision Reporting Center provides a place for the public to report traffic accidents for the purpose of meeting legal and insurance requirements.
Drivers who are involved in vehicle accidents in which no one was seriously injured that occur within the Tucson city limits can report damage to a vehicle, get a police report, and improve timeliness of insurance claims. Those who have been involved in collisions also will not have to wait for law enforcement at the scene, which can also reduce the potential for traffic delays or additional crashes.
It’s important to have a police report if you are involved in an accident. Injuries sometimes seem minor or even nonexistent at first, but once the shock wears off they may become apparent. The insurance company will want to see a police report of the accident. The Collision Reporting Center provides a good option for those who are involved in seemingly “minor” accidents to report the incident and obtain a police report.
There’s no charge for this service, which is a partnership with a Canadian company (Accident Support Services International), which has a total of 33 Collision Reporting Centers in North America. The Center in Tucson is the second in the United States. Funding for the company is provided by several insurance companies.
Police will still respond and investigate collisions in the following cases:
• If a death occurs.
• If the collision involves injuries that require immediate treatment away from the scene.
• If the collision includes criminal activity (e.g., impaired driving, stolen vehicles, assault).
• If the collision involves a government vehicle (i.e., Sun Tran buses, school buses, City of Tucson vehicles).
• If the collision involves hazardous materials.
• If the collision is a hit and run.
• If the collision involves bicyclists or pedestrians.
What should you do if you are involved in an auto accident within the Tucson city limits?
• Call 911 to report the accident. The 911 operator will determine if police need to respond to the accident.
• If police don’t need to respond, remove the vehicle from the roadway if it is safe to do so.
• Exchange information (name, address, phone number, insurance and vehicle information, license plate number) with other involved drivers/parties, as well as any witnesses.
• Take your vehicle as soon as possible to the Collision Reporting Center. If the vehicle is drivable, go there within 72 hours.
• If the vehicle needs to be towed, the tow truck driver will take you and the vehicle directly to the Center.
• Take your driver’s license, vehicle registration and insurance information with you to the Center.
Once you get to the Center, the personnel there will take statements, complete a police report, and take photographs of the damage. The Center can forward the report and photographs directly to your insurance company.
The Collision Reporting Center is centrally located:
Midtown Multi-Service Center
1100 South Alvernon Way
Tucson, Arizona 85711
(520) 837–7474
Hours:
Monday – Friday: 9am – 7pm
Saturday: 10am – 4pm
Sundays & Holidays: Closed
The Collision Reporting Center is open for a pilot program of six months in Tucson. If successful, the program may expand. Officials believe that the service will be a helpful change, and that the rest of the country will be looking at the Tucson program as an example. In addition, the service will also benefit TPD, as they will be able to track where crashes are occurring, as well as why they may be happening in certain locations.
