stopping when witnessing an accident

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For a very minor collision at low speed and no prospect of injuries there's no particular need to stop and get involved; the respective drivers can sort it out.

For any collision where there is considerable damage or the possibility of injury or a person in shock, it is imperative that bystanders or passing drivers get involved until emergency responders arrive. If there are serious injuries, it is well to remain until you've had a chance to pass your contact information to a law officer. The ethics of it are pretty simple and consist of the usual application of the Golden Rule.

I once hung around for close to an hour, primarily because I was furious at the guy who caused it (he sped past me on the left and proceeded to hit another car in the intersection). I ended up testifying in court against him.

Normally, I'd only leave if no one was hurt, there were other witnesses, and I had something pressing I had to get to myself. Otherwise, I'd always remain within a reasonable window of time--half an hour say.

if you're needed as an important witness or to help, otherwise nada

Cool. I haven't really had it happen per se but I kinda feel like you otm.

I've only witnessed minor rear ends from ahead and have kept going.

i think even if you aren't a trained medical professional, injured people appreciate strangers just being there to reassure them that help is incoming and that they will be ok. if someone else is already doing this then stick around to give a statement o/w your duty is fulfilled (redundancy isnt necessary/could be a hindrance imo)

I've only witnessed minor rear ends from ahead and have kept going.

are you basically useless as a witness in this situation? a few months ago a car in the lane behind me got rear-ended, but I just kept driving because I didn't actually see the collision and I assumed I wouldn't have been of any use to either party beyond being able to say, 'I heard a crash at 1:24 pm and then I saw both vehicles pull over into the breakdown lane' which would have done nothing to help reconstruct the event. I figured if I stopped I would have ended up inconveniencing the drivers and possibly getting blamed for the accident (somehow)

Kinda yea.

I just remembered another incident. So there was a bicyclist at an intersection and the walk side came up. Next to her was a minivan with a lady and her kid in the car.

The lady on the bike was riding across and naturally the idiot in the minivan wasn't watching and drove into her, knocking her off her bike. I was too far away to help buy a man in his car nearby sprinted to her aid.

The minivan woman was a scowling, unsympathetic piece of shit who got out, glanced at her, got back in her car and drove away, leaving the woman bleeding from her arm on the ground. I had been in perfect position to get the lady's plate and call the cops but it all happened so fast that she was gone and I missed it. I still wish I'd called the cops anyway - fortunately another bicyclist nearby helped prop her back up and started helping her to the hospital down the street but that lady who hit and ran shoulda been on the hook.

One of the worst memories I have too was riding home with my folks from the airport one night and seeing the cars all stop for no discernible reason. As we got closer, we saw something in the road. My mother shrieked in horror "that's a PERSON!"

We pulled over, to join the other car that had wisely pulled up behind the body and turned on his flashers to protect the body from being hit again. My dad ran to the others who were looking at his body to see if he was alive, I called 911 and was told it had just been reported.

We opted to leave because others were already with him and we were told emergency help was on the way.

He died the next day, as reported in the papers.

I'm always worried about what would happen if I witnessed some kind of bad accident while I'm driving my kids around. Like, cars are always getting hit when they're pulled over helping someone else on the side of the highway.

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