How to work through campus accidents
- If involved in an accident, the first step is to contact Safety and Security
- Campus laws and procedures can be found in the student handbook and online
By Brian Stansberry, Staff Writer (onlineeditor@occc.edu)
Since Jan. 1, 2006, 70 automobile accidents have been reported on campus. This number includes both injury and non-injury accidents, as well as hit and runs, according to incident reports.
Ike Sloas, Safety and Security director, said students involved in auto accidents should follow a set of steps to ensure the accident is taken care of quickly and correctly.
The first step, Sloas said, is to contact Safety and Security. They can call for an ambulance or police as needed.
Also, if an accident involves someone without a driver’s license or without insurance, police generally will be called.
OCCC’s new parking lot camera system also helps in working accidents, Sloas said. The officers can review footage to find out exactly who was at fault.
Security also has the ability to issue fines to someone breaking laws on campus. If police are called to the scene of an accident, they have the ability to write tickets as they would elsewhere, Sloas said.
College and campus laws and procedures can be found in the student handbook and online.
“Most generally, you’d follow the same rules that you’d follow on public streets, and the same rules apply coming on and off our property,” Sloas said.
Music Sophomoe Cody Suman said he would deal with an accident himself if he were involved in one on campus.
“[I’d get off] the road, exchange insurance information, and [I wouldn’t] go anywhere until the authorities arrive,” Suman said.
Other students have similar ideas.
Wes Wilson, pre-pharmacy major, and Lauren Dale, music theater and art major, agreed students should stay out of the way and exchange insurance information.
Sloas said most of the auto accidents have to do with crossing traffic and merging with outbound traffic. He also said smaller incidents in parking lots usually are caused by a driver pulling in or out of a space, or misjudging a space and putting a small ding on someone else’s car.
The student handbook is available online as well as the Student Life office.
