Hit and run accidents are extremely frustrating. Nobody wants to deal with any sort of automobile accident, even a simple fender bender. But watching the other person involved with your fender bender speed off around the corner is a special variety of enraging.
It may be tempting to take matters into your own hands after a hit-and-run and chase after the other person. However, you should not do this. Fleeing the scene of an accident, no matter how minor is a crime. It is a better option to stay put and try to talk to eyewitnesses at the scene.
What should I do immediately?
The actual actions that you should be taking in the aftermath of a hit-and-run are not very different than the ones you would do for any other accident. If anybody in the vicinity has suffered an injury, call 911 for medical assistance. If the accident is more minor in nature, make sure that your car is not in the flow of traffic.
Once you and any passengers are bystanders are safe, call the non-emergency number for the police to file a police report. This will help you with insurance later. Make sure to document the scene of the accident as well with a camera or cell phone if you have one.
How can eyewitnesses help?
Most people have smartphones these days. This means that an eyewitness may have taken video or photo footage of the other driver as he or she drove away. If an eyewitness was able to get footage of the driver him or herself or a license plate, that will be useful for the police.