I-10 is the spine of El Paso. It carries the whole metro east to west, and it moves more than 800,000 trucks a year alongside everyone’s daily commute. With that much traffic, crashes happen. The corridor sees close to 2,977 of them a year. If you’re in one, here’s how to handle the next few minutes.

First, get yourself safe

The seconds right after a crash matter most. Take a breath, then check yourself and your passengers for injuries before anything else.

If your car still drives and you’re not badly hurt, pull onto the shoulder or the nearest exit ramp. I-10 traffic moves fast and doesn’t slow down for a stalled car in a live lane. Getting off the roadway protects you from a second, worse collision.

Turn on your hazard lights right away. If you have to stay in the car, keep your seatbelt on and stay buckled until help arrives. Don’t stand in the traffic lanes to inspect damage. Stay behind the guardrail or well off the pavement.

Call 911

Once you’re clear of traffic, call 911. On a freeway like I-10, you want police and, if anyone’s hurt, an ambulance on scene.

Tell the dispatcher where you are. Give them the nearest exit, mile marker, or cross street so units find you fast. On I-10 that might be Hawkins, Lee Trevino, the Spaghetti Bowl, or the Sunland Park exit on the West Side. The more specific you are, the quicker help arrives.

The officer who responds will document the crash and, in many cases, write a report. That report becomes important later for insurance, so wait for it if you can.

Document the scene

While you wait, gather what you can safely. A few minutes of photos now saves a lot of headaches later.

  • Photos of all vehicles, including damage and license plates
  • The other driver’s name, phone, insurance, and plate number
  • Photos of the wider scene, lane position, skid marks, and any debris
  • Names and numbers of any witnesses who stopped

Do all of this from a safe spot off the roadway. No photo is worth standing in an I-10 lane. If it isn’t safe to gather details, let the responding officer collect them instead.

When to call a tow

Some crashes are minor and you drive away. Others leave a car that can’t or shouldn’t move. Call for a tow if any of these are true:

  • Fluid is leaking under the car
  • A tire, wheel, or axle is damaged
  • The hood, bumper, or a panel is dragging or could fall off
  • Airbags deployed
  • Anything feels off when you try to drive

When in doubt, don’t risk it. Driving a damaged car off I-10 can turn a fender bender into a breakdown in a worse spot. A flatbed gets the vehicle off the freeway and to your shop or home safely.

Accident and collision towing needs the right equipment and a careful hand, especially with damaged wheels or all-wheel-drive cars. That’s flatbed work, and it’s worth doing right.

We’ll get you off the freeway

If you’re stuck on I-10 after a crash, call Quick Tow El Paso at (858) 925-5546. We run flatbeds across the whole corridor and we’ll give you a flat rate before we roll.

Get safe, call 911 first, then call us. We’ll get your car off the freeway and where it needs to go.