The importance of an eyewitness is crucial in the case of a car crash, as they provide testimony as to what happened and can also help with finding evidence or identifying suspects. An eyewitness’s account is usually considered the most credible source, and their story should always be taken seriously. You can always consult a Tucson auto accident attorney if you get involved in a car accident to help you get the best out of the case. Make sure to ask if they offer free consultations for new clients.
A witness has information about an accident or crime committed in their presence which can be used as evidence in court. For a police officer, the most important thing at the scene of a crash is a “witness.” After all, if no one saw anything, they cannot do much investigating.
Who Can Provide a Witness Statement?
Anyone who was on the scene of an accident can be a witness. That includes drivers, passengers, pedestrians, as well as other people on the roadside. If a crash occurs within sight of your house or business, you may also be able to tell the police what happened from your vantage point. An eyewitness can be a driver traveling on the same side of the road as the accident, pedestrian, law enforcement officer, witness who was not present at the scene but saw it unfold from afar, or someone else who witnessed events through media coverage. A person could also become an eyewitness by being caught up in an accident themselves.
How Can a Witness Statement Impact a Case?
Witness statements can support or conflict with a driver’s version of events. The police will attempt to investigate an accident and find the facts independent of your involvement. If a witness contradicts a driver’s understanding of how they acted, it can lead to an investigation being started or added to. An eyewitness account is usually considered the most credible source, and their story should always be taken seriously.
If an eyewitness’ story does not match up with other evidence on the scene, it can be used as a reason to dismiss the entire account. If their story does match up with other evidence, though, their testimony can help to prove that they were telling the truth.
Sometimes an eyewitness might not identify the people involved in the accident; they may only remember seeing something strange or someone doing something weird or strange-looking before or after the accident. In this case, the testimony from the eyewitness can be used to help prove that a specific person or problem was involved in the accident.
Inaccurate witness statements can cause investigators to doubt everything they have heard from witnesses and make them have second thoughts about applying charges against the suspect.
