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After a Crash in New Jersey: A Step-by-Step Accident Towing Guide
After a crash, check for injuries and call 911 before anything else, then decide where the car goes before a truck you did not choose decides for you. You have the right to pick the tow company and the repair shop, and a few minutes of preparation at the scene saves days of hassle afterward.
Accident Towing in New Jersey: the short version
Check everyone for injuries and call 911 for any injury, a blocked lane or a crash police need to report.
Photograph the scene, the cars and the other driver's documents before anything moves.
Tell the officer you have a private tow coming and where the car is going; police may still call a rotation tow if the lane must be cleared fast.
Choose the destination yourself: your body shop, a dealer or your driveway.
Keep the police report number and the tow receipt together; your adjuster will ask for both.
What to do right now: accident towing step by step
8 steps, in order, from the moment the car stops to the moment it is safe or on the truck.
Step 1: Check for injuries and call 911
Check yourself, your passengers and the people in the other car. If anyone is hurt, if a car is blocking traffic, or if there is smoke or leaking fuel, call 911 immediately. Do not move anyone with neck or back pain.
Step 2: Make the scene safer
Turn on hazard lights. If no one is hurt and the cars can be driven safely, moving them out of the travel lanes reduces the risk of a second crash. If they cannot move, get everyone away from traffic and behind a barrier if there is one.
Step 3: Take photos before anything moves
Photograph both cars from every side, the damage up close, the road, the traffic signals and any skid marks or debris. Include a wide shot with a sign or landmark that shows where it happened.
Step 4: Exchange information
Get the other driver's name, license, registration, insurance company and policy number, and the plate. Photograph the documents. Get names and phone numbers of any witnesses.
Step 5: Call your own tow and tell the officer
Call (908) 444-0129 with the location, the make and model, what is damaged and where you want the car to go. Then tell the officer a private tow is on the way and give the arrival window you were quoted.
Step 6: Get the police report details
Before you leave, ask the officer for the report or case number, the officer's name and the department. Your insurer will ask for it first.
Step 7: Empty the car
Take the registration, insurance card, wallet, phone, medication, garage opener, toll transponder and child seats. A crashed car can sit at a shop for weeks.
Step 8: Get a receipt with everything on it
The tow receipt should show the pickup location, the destination, the mileage and the date. Keep it with your photos and the report number.
At step one or step six, the call is the same.
Call nowDo's and don'ts for accident towing
What helps and what makes it worse, from the drivers who do this every day.
Do
✓ Do call 911 for any injury, even one that seems minor at first.
✓ Do photograph the scene wide enough to show where it happened, not just the dents.
✓ Do tell the officer early that your own tow is coming.
✓ Do choose a repair shop you trust, or tow the car home while you decide.
✓ Do ask the tow driver to photograph the car at pickup and drop-off.
✓ Do report the crash to your insurer promptly, even if you think the other driver is at fault.
Don't
✗ Don't stand in the road to take photos or talk to the other driver.
✗ Don't admit fault or argue about it at the scene; give facts to the police.
✗ Don't sign over the car to a truck that showed up unasked without knowing the price and the destination.
✗ Don't drive a car with a leaking radiator, a broken wheel or a deployed airbag.
✗ Don't leave personal documents or child seats in the car.
✗ Don't assume the insurer's recommended shop is your only choice.
Not sure which applies to you? Ask the dispatcher.
Call nowCommon reasons New Jersey drivers need accident towing
The situations behind most accident towing calls we take.
Rear-end crashes in highway backups
Sudden stops on Routes 1 & 9, Route 22 and I-78 cause many rear-end crashes. The car often still runs but has a crushed radiator or a bumper pushed into a tire, which makes it a tow, not a drive.
Intersection collisions
Side impacts at busy local intersections often bend suspension parts. A car that pulls hard to one side or has a wheel sitting at an angle should go on a flatbed, not on its own wheels.
Parked cars hit overnight
In dense towns with street parking, drivers find their car damaged in the morning. File a police report, photograph it in place, then arrange the tow to the shop.
Weather crashes and slide-offs
Ice and heavy rain send cars into curbs, medians and ditches. If the car is off the pavement but not badly damaged, a winch out may be all it needs.
Deer strikes
On the roads through Morris, Somerset and Monmouth counties, deer strikes are common in the fall. Front-end damage often reaches the radiator and headlights; check for leaks before driving.
Whatever the cause, the truck is the same call away.
Call nowWhich service you actually need
Pick the right truck the first time and you save a second trip.
Drive it home or tow it
Tow it if any light is out, a tire is rubbing, fluid is leaking, the hood will not latch, an airbag deployed, or the car pulls or vibrates. If it drives straight and safely with only cosmetic damage, you may be able to drive it.
Body shop now or driveway first
If you know your shop, go straight there. If you have not chosen one, or you want more than one estimate, tow it home first and move it later with a local tow.
Private tow or the police rotation tow
If the officer allows it, your own tow lets you choose the destination and avoid yard storage. If police need the lane cleared immediately, let the rotation tow take it and arrange the move to your shop afterward.
What changes the price of accident towing
The price is quoted on the phone before the truck rolls; these are the things that move it.
An accident tow with us is priced like any other: a hook fee plus loaded mileage from the scene to the destination you choose, as a flat price quoted on the phone before the truck rolls. The truck the car needs matters; a damaged or non-rolling car needs a flatbed, and a crashed box truck needs a heavy wrecker.
What drives the total cost of an accident tow up is usually not the tow itself but what comes after it: storage at a yard while the claim is sorted out, and a second tow to the shop. Choosing the destination at the scene avoids both. Your collision coverage or the at-fault driver's insurance often reimburses the tow, so keep the itemized receipt.
Get the exact number for your car and your destination.
Call nowAccident Towing on New Jersey roads: what is different here
Roads, rules and weather that change how accident towing works in North and Central Jersey.
Police reports in New Jersey
New Jersey requires crashes involving injury, death or significant property damage to be reported to police. The responding officer files a crash report, and your insurer will use its number to process the claim.
Your choice of repair shop
In New Jersey you can take the car to any licensed repair facility. Your insurer may recommend a shop in its network, but it cannot require you to use it.
Crashes on the Turnpike and the Parkway
On the Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, the Turnpike Authority's authorized garages clear the shoulder and the lanes. Book with us anyway, and we take the car from the exit or the garage's lot to the shop you choose at our flat quoted price.
No-fault insurance and the tow
New Jersey is a no-fault state for injuries through PIP, but vehicle damage and the tow fall under collision coverage or the at-fault driver's liability coverage. Ask your agent which applies to you.
How we handle an accident towing call, start to finish
Call, quote, truck, done: four steps, and you know the price before the first one ends.
Dispatch
You call (908) 444-0129. A dispatcher asks where you are (street and cross street, or the exit), what the vehicle is, what happened and where it should go, then quotes a flat price.
Arrival
Once you approve the quote, the nearest truck leaves Linden or wherever it is working. Drive time depends on distance and traffic; the dispatcher gives you a real window, and the driver calls when close.
Work
The driver checks the vehicle, does the job the way it was quoted and, for a tow, takes the vehicle to the place you chose, not one we pick for you.
Payment
You pay the quoted price: cash, credit or debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No membership is needed.
That is the whole process. It starts with the call.
Call nowAccident Towing in New Jersey's biggest towns, and every county we cover
Every town we serve has its own accident towing page; the largest are below, and each county hub lists the rest.
- Accident Towing in Newark
- Accident Towing in Jersey City
- Accident Towing in Paterson
- Accident Towing in Elizabeth
- Accident Towing in Edison
- Accident Towing in Woodbridge
- Accident Towing in Clifton
- Accident Towing in Bayonne
- Accident Towing in Passaic
- Accident Towing in East Orange
- Accident Towing in Union City
- Accident Towing in Franklin Township
- Accident Towing in Middletown
- Accident Towing in Old Bridge
- Accident Towing in North Bergen
- Accident Towing in Irvington
- Accident Towing in Union
- Accident Towing in Piscataway
- Accident Towing in Hoboken
- Accident Towing in Parsippany
- Accident Towing in Perth Amboy
- Accident Towing in New Brunswick
- Accident Towing in Wayne
- Accident Towing in Plainfield
- Towing in Union County
- Towing in Middlesex County
- Towing in Essex County
- Towing in Hudson County
- Towing in Somerset County
- Towing in Morris County
- Towing in Monmouth County
- Towing in Bergen County
- Towing in Passaic County
Do not see your town? If it is within 45 minutes of Linden, we cover it.
Call (908) 444-0129Accident Towing service pageAccident Towing questions, answered
Straight answers to what drivers ask us about accident towing.
How long can I wait at the scene for my own tow?
That is up to the officer. If the cars are off the road and not a hazard, many will wait for a private tow that is on its way. If the lane must be cleared quickly, they may call their rotation tow.
Should I move my car after a minor crash?
If no one is hurt and both cars can be driven safely, moving them out of the travel lanes is usually safer. Take photos of their positions first if you can do so without standing in traffic.
What if I feel fine but my neck hurts later?
Get checked by a doctor and tell your insurer. Injuries from a crash do not always show up right away, and PIP coverage handles medical bills in New Jersey.
What should I photograph for my insurer?
All four sides of each car, the damage up close, the other car's plate, the road and signals, any debris, and the other driver's license and insurance card.
Can a crashed car go to my house instead of a shop?
Yes, as long as it can sit off the street legally. When you are ready to move it to a shop, the local towing guide covers that second trip.
What if my car is leaking fluid?
Do not drive it. Leaking coolant, oil or fuel after a crash means the car should be towed. Mention the leak when you call so the driver comes prepared.
How do I reach you after a crash?
Call (908) 444-0129 at any hour with the location, the make and model and where you want the car taken. You will get a flat price before the truck leaves Linden.
Need accident & collision towing right now? One call, truck on the way.
Real dispatcher, 24 hours a day. Quoted price before we roll.