What to do when you're involved in an accident?

I'm not sure what your question is, I think you did right by waiting for a State Troopers response, many times, local yokels aren't too hip on CMV procedures. I'd be more worried about the 2 accidents in a year, your fault or not.

 

Take pics then get it off roadway

 

Winner.
Walk back an eighth mile and start taking pics, regardless of who’s at fault, regardless of what cop or even highway patrol officer says. Trees, buildings, road signs, anything that you think is relevant to your side of the story.

Then move the truck to a safe spot. BTW, whoever “taught” you, OP, but didn’t explain why is an idiot. Why are we telling you to take pics? What would happen if if the mayor’s drunk daughter slammed into the back of your trailer as you were making a left turn into a driveway?

 

Why wait for a state police officer in Arkansas?
He don’t know a thing about trucks, Highway police is trucks.

AR constables, They have arrest power, can write citations, and respond to accidents. A 2007 law, however, placed training requirements on constables if they wanted to carry a gun on duty and have access to the Arkansas Crime Information Center.


They didn’t need his permission, to get you out of roadway.
Should’ve called a wrecker.

 

Pictures, lots of pictures before things move if possible.

You want pictures of everything except blood, guts and gore.

Very often I would get 20 pictures of the damages to my owner operator's tractor and one or two of the auto, basically useless stuff.

Get the other vehicles view, squat down to the auto drivers eye level along with pictures of the scene from all directions including any traffic control devices, skid and yawl marks on the pavement and the debris from the crash.

Remember, in a lawsuit EVERY picture you take is 'discoverable' by the other parties lawyer you can't hide anything, back when we supplied disposeabled film cameras we instructed drivers to use all the film in the camera.

Several years ago one of our box truck owners was returning from an oil change on his day off.

As he approached a right turn lane he signaled and a lady in a Mercedes whipped around him on the right whipping by sideswiping his truck damaging the fender without touching the bumper.

His pictures showing where he was in relation to the turn lane along with the debris from his fiberglass fender and the minor damage to the side of the auto were very helpful when the lady started a claim for bodily injury AND his personal coverage denied coverage citing NJ precident that getting maintenance on his day off was STILL the benefit of the carrier and it got dumped in our lap.

His pictures clearly proved he wasn't at fault AND that the B/I claim was bogus and denied.

Pictures, lots of pictures!