As you know, police officers are increasingly busy these days. They are tasked with tremendous responsibility and are unfortunately unable to respond to every call that comes their way.

If you are involved in a car accident and the police are unable to appear and make a police report, you may wonder if it is still possible to obtain one after a crash. Read on to learn the answer.

Obtaining a Police Report After a Crash

If you’re involved in a car accident, South Dakota law requires that you immediately alert the authorities when any of the following conditions exist:

• Someone is injured or killed in the crash.
• Upwards of $1,000 of property damage has been inflicted on any one person.
• If the total amount of the property damage meets or exceeds $2,000.
• A parked vehicle sustains damage and the owner cannot be contacted right away.
• Property left unattended is harmed in a crash and the owner cannot be identified.

Even if the law does not require you to obtain a police report after a crash, it is still in your best interest to do so because it can help prove you are not liable for the accident.

If the police are unable to respond to your crash, you can still get the police report you need.

One of the ways to do this is to call and ask to make an appointment with an investigating officer. The officer can then work with you to develop an accident report.

Another way to do this is to drive over to the police station and ask an officer to make an accident report with you on the fly. This can be a riskier choice, as there may not be an available officer there to help you at all times.