Colorado Springs Police Department

Cold / Counter Reporting

What is the criteria for counter reporting a traffic accident?


The Colorado Springs Police Department is on accident alert and:

• No fatality or injury requiring medical attention and transport to a hospital by ambulance was sustained by any person(s) involved in the accident, and;
• No driver involved in the accident is suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and;
• The accident does not involve damage to any public property (a road sign, utility pole, etc.) other than wildlife, and;
• All vehicles and drivers involved are present at the scene and the driver, vehicle and insurance information is available to be exchanged, and;

The accident occurs on private property and:

• No fatality or injury requiring medical attention and transport to a hospital by ambulance was sustained by any person(s) involved in the accident, and;
• No driver involved in the accident is suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and;
• All vehicles and drivers involved are present at the scene and the driver, vehicle and insurance information is available to be exchanged ( a hit and run accident involving an unoccupied parked vehicle shall be counter reported unless the suspect driver is known by name or the suspect vehicle can not be located or described to include the license plate number); and
• There is no major damange to another's property; e.g., vehicle through a building.

The accident occurs on a city street and involves minor damage with the apparent amount of damage to any one vehicle or other property being less than $1,000, and:

• No fatality or injury requiring medical attention and transport to a hospital by ambulance was sustained by any person(s) involved in the accident, and;
• No driver involved in the accident is suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and;
• All vehicles and drivers involved are present at the scene and the driver, vehicle and insurance information is available to be exchanged, and;
• No one insists that the police respond

The accident is a hit and run involving an unoccupied vehicle on a city street and neither the suspect driver or vehicle can be identified or located. and:

What information should I get from the other driver?

• Name
• Address
• Telephone number
• Date of birth
• Driver's license number and state
  
• Name, address, phone number of owner if different from driver
  
• Vehicle year, make, model, color, license plate number & state, vehicle identification number
• Insurance company, policy number & expiration date, agent's name & phone number

Where can I get a copy of the State of Colorado Traffic Accident Report form DR447-E to complete and submit?

• You may pick up a copy from the front lobby of the Gold Hill, Sand Creek, Falcon, Stetson Hills substations or the Police Operations Center;
  or
  
• You may open the form here and then print the Form DR-447-E Cold Reporting Accident Form;
  or
  
• You may use the Colorado State Patrol Online Accident Reporting System.

What information do I need to put on the Accident Report?

• Date, time & location of the accident
• Your driver's license, registration & insurance information on the left side
• Other driver's license, registration & insurance information on the right side
• A description of what happened to include your direction of travel, other driver's direction of travel, whether the accident happened in an intersection or mid-block & location of damage on the vehicles. (I was going north on Nevada in the right lane through the intersection with Colorado. The other car came from my right on Colorado and hit the right front door of my car with its front end.)
• Name, address & phone number of any passengers in your car
• Name, address & phone number of any witnesses

What do I do with the State of Colorado Traffic Accident Report DR-447-E Form?

Complete the form and mail it to:

State of Colorado
Motor Vehicle Division Traffic Records
Denver, CO 80261-0016

CSPD can not accept this completed form. You must mail it directly to the State Motor Vehicle Division or use the on-line reporting system and it will automatically be submitted to the State of Colorado.

All forms must be completed and returned to the State of Colorado within 10 days of your traffic accident which occurred during a Cold Reporting Period.

Call your insurance agent, advise him/her of the accident and follow their instructions. It is advisable to make a photocopy of the report before sending it to the State. The Colorado Springs Police Department does not keep copies of any DR447-E submitted.

Will enforcement action be taken at a later date against either driver in a cold accident report situation?
No, the police department will not take enforcement action against either driver for "causing the accident." At this point, the report is prepared to satisfy a State of Colorado requirement that the accident be reported and for insurance purposes.