By Jonathan M. Ashton, Partner and Personal Injury Attorney
Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault Co., L.P.A.
Traffic cameras can provide valuable evidence after a car accident. They may capture the collision, identify vehicles involved, or show what happened before and after a crash. However, not every camera records video. The available evidence depends on the camera system, its location, and how quickly investigators can obtain the information.
For drivers injured in car accidents in Toledo, Ohio, traffic camera footage and digital evidence may help establish fault and support a personal injury claim. Toledo’s Flock Safety license plate cameras have also drawn public attention, raising questions about how law enforcement uses this technology and whether it can help investigate collisions.
On November 4, 2026, Toledo City Council considered a proposal to terminate its Flock Safety agreements. The proposal did not advance, allowing the cameras to remain in place while an independent review continues. While much of the discussion has focused on privacy and surveillance, these cameras also raise an important question for accident victims: Can the information they collect help establish what happened in a collision?
“After a hit-and-run, evidence that could help identify the other driver may be sitting on cameras that overwrite themselves. Report the crash to police promptly, get medical care if you need it, and contact an attorney as soon as possible so steps can be taken to preserve evidence while it still exists.” – Jonathan M. Ashton, Partner and Personal Injury Attorney, Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault Co., L.P.A.
How Can Traffic Cameras Help Prove a Hit-and-Run Accident?
Traffic cameras can help prove a hit-and-run accident by identifying a fleeing vehicle, establishing a timeline, or showing how the collision occurred. In Toledo, Ohio, investigators may use traffic cameras, private surveillance footage, and automated license plate readers, including Flock Safety cameras, to gather evidence when a driver leaves the scene.
Different Cameras Provide Different Evidence
Traditional security cameras may capture video of the actual collision, while Flock license plate readers record vehicle information, including license plates, identifying characteristics, and timestamps. Although Flock cameras generally do not record the collision itself, their information may help investigators identify vehicles traveling through an area around the time of an accident.
How Camera Evidence May Help in a Toledo Hit-and-Run
For example, a driver is struck by a dark SUV at a Toledo intersection, and the SUV leaves before anyone can identify its license plate. A nearby business camera may have recorded the collision, while a Flock camera farther down the road may have captured a matching vehicle minutes later. Investigators can compare this information with witness statements, police reports, and physical evidence to help determine what happened.
Does Camera Footage Prove Who Was at Fault?
Camera evidence can strengthen a hit-and-run investigation, but identifying a vehicle does not automatically establish who was driving or who caused the accident. Additional evidence may be necessary to establish liability, making it important to locate and preserve available recordings before they are deleted.
If you were injured by a driver who fled the scene, learn more about what to do after a hit-and-run accident in Ohio.
What Are Flock Cameras, and How Do They Work?
Flock Safety cameras use automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology to capture vehicle images and identifying details at monitored locations. Law enforcement agencies use these cameras to help identify vehicles involved in investigations, including hit-and-run accidents in Toledo, Ohio. Unlike traditional surveillance cameras, standard Flock cameras capture still images instead of recording continuous video of traffic or collisions.
What Information Do Flock Cameras Capture?
Depending on the system, Flock cameras can record license plate numbers, vehicle make and model, color, distinguishing characteristics, and the date, time, and location of each observation. This information allows investigators to search for vehicles matching a particular description and determine whether they passed through a monitored area around the time of an accident.
How Can Flock Cameras Help Investigate a Toledo Hit-and-Run?
If a driver flees a collision near downtown Toledo, police may use Flock camera data to identify vehicles matching a witness’s description that traveled through nearby locations shortly afterward. Investigators can compare license plate information and timestamps with security footage, witness statements, police reports, and physical evidence to help identify the vehicle involved.
Can Flock Cameras Prove Who Caused an Accident?
Flock cameras may help identify a vehicle connected to a hit-and-run, but license plate information alone does not establish who was driving or who was at fault. A vehicle matching the description of one involved in a collision is not necessarily the responsible vehicle. Additional evidence may be required to connect the vehicle to the accident and establish legal liability.
What Types of Cameras Can Provide Evidence After a Car Accident?
Several types of cameras can capture valuable evidence after a car accident in Toledo, Ohio. Flock license plate readers, traffic cameras, and private surveillance systems collect different information. Investigators can use this evidence to identify vehicles, reconstruct collisions, and determine how an accident occurred. Understanding these camera systems can also help injured drivers locate evidence to support a personal injury claim.
Automated License Plate Readers
Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers capture vehicle images and identifying information at monitored locations. Investigators can use this data to identify vehicles, check when they passed through an area, and track possible travel routes. Although these cameras can provide useful evidence after a car accident, they generally do not record continuous video showing how a collision occurred.
Traffic and Roadway Cameras
Government agencies use traffic cameras to monitor road conditions and vehicle movement along major highways, including Interstate 75 and Interstate 475 in Northwest Ohio. Some cameras provide live traffic views without saving footage, while others can record and store video. Although these cameras may help investigators understand how a car accident occurred, not every system retains recordings. The presence of a traffic camera does not guarantee that investigators can obtain footage of a collision.
Business and Residential Security Cameras
Businesses, gas stations, restaurants, apartment complexes, and homes often use security cameras that capture nearby roads and intersections. Doorbell cameras may also record vehicles traveling through residential neighborhoods. Unlike Flock license plate readers, these systems can capture video showing how a car accident occurred.
Private surveillance footage may reveal whether a driver ran a red light, failed to yield, or made an unsafe turn. It can also show vehicle movements before and after a collision. This footage may provide stronger evidence of how an accident occurred than license plate information alone, helping investigators establish fault and support a personal injury claim.
Why Is Timing So Important When Preserving Camera Evidence?
Traffic cameras, Flock license plate readers, and private surveillance systems can automatically delete or overwrite older recordings. After a car accident in Toledo, Ohio, acting quickly to preserve this digital evidence may help investigators determine what happened and support a personal injury claim.
Camera retention periods vary by agency and equipment. In August 2026, Flock Safety announced a seven-day default retention period for new law enforcement customers. Existing agencies may follow different schedules. Locally, the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office adopted a 30-day retention policy, with an exception for evidence preservation. This policy does not necessarily apply to Toledo Police or other agencies. Private security cameras may overwrite recordings within days, making prompt action essential.
After a car accident, report the collision to police and provide the location, approximate time, and details about the vehicles involved. Identify nearby traffic or security cameras and share their locations with the investigating officer. A personal injury attorney can also help locate potential recordings, request evidence preservation, and evaluate how the footage may support your claim.
Can You or Your Attorney Request Flock Camera Evidence After a Car Accident?
Obtaining Flock camera evidence after a car accident in Toledo, Ohio, can be more difficult than accessing footage from a private security camera. Under Ohio Revised Code § 149.43(A)(1)(yy), Ohio exempts automated license plate reader data stored in law enforcement databases from public-records disclosure. As a result, injured drivers generally cannot obtain this information through a standard public-records request.
However, this exemption does not automatically prevent attorneys from using Flock camera evidence in a personal injury investigation or legal proceeding. An attorney can identify the agency that controls the data, request preservation, and explore legal options for obtaining relevant information. These steps do not guarantee access, and law enforcement does not have to release the data simply because an attorney requests it.
Because agencies may delete camera data under their retention policies, acting quickly can help protect valuable evidence. If investigators cannot access Flock camera records, private security footage, traffic camera recordings, witness statements, and police reports may still help establish how the accident occurred and who was responsible.
What About Cameras Owned by Businesses or Homeowners?
Private security cameras at businesses, gas stations, apartment complexes, and homes can capture valuable evidence after a car accident. Unlike law enforcement’s Flock license plate readers, these cameras may record the collision itself or show a vehicle leaving the scene. Property owners may agree to preserve or share footage when someone contacts them promptly.
A personal injury attorney can send a written preservation request, sometimes called a spoliation letter, asking the property owner to save relevant footage. While this request does not guarantee access to the recording, acting quickly may prevent the loss of important evidence. Preserving security camera footage can help investigators establish what happened and support a personal injury claim.
Can Traffic Camera Evidence Help When the Other Driver Cannot Be Identified?
Traffic camera footage can help support a car accident claim even when investigators cannot identify the responsible driver. In Toledo, Ohio, surveillance recordings, Flock license plate readers, and other digital evidence may help prove another vehicle was involved. This evidence can be especially valuable when a driver flees the scene or no witnesses can identify the vehicle.
If investigators cannot locate the responsible driver, injured individuals may still qualify for compensation through their uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. Eligibility depends on the insurance policy, the circumstances of the accident, and the available evidence. Jonathan Ashton explains these coverage issues in his article, Hit by an Uninsured Driver in Ohio? What Happens Next.
How Can Camera Footage Help Prove a Phantom Vehicle Accident?
A phantom vehicle accident, also called a miss-and-run accident, occurs when an unidentified driver causes a crash without making physical contact. For example, a driver on Interstate 475 near Toledo suddenly enters another vehicle’s lane. The other motorist swerves to avoid a collision, loses control, and strikes a guardrail. If the first driver leaves the scene, traffic camera footage may help show how that vehicle contributed to the crash.
Under Ohio Revised Code § 3937.18(B)(1)(c), uninsured motorist claims involving unidentified drivers require independent evidence that supports the injured person’s account. This evidence must show that the unidentified driver’s actions caused the injuries. Traffic camera footage may help establish what happened, even when investigators cannot identify the driver. Witness statements, physical evidence, police reports, and other recordings may also help support the claim.
Can Camera Evidence Help If an Insurance Company Disputes the Accident?
Yes. Traffic camera footage can help resolve disputes about how a car accident occurred, which vehicles were involved, and who caused the collision. Insurance companies may question an injured person’s account, especially when investigators cannot identify the other driver or witnesses provide conflicting statements.
Video footage may show a driver running a red light, making an unsafe lane change, or forcing another vehicle off the road. Even when cameras miss the collision, timestamps, vehicle descriptions, and recorded movements may support witness statements and other evidence. A personal injury attorney can review this footage to help establish fault, strengthen an injury claim, and address insurance coverage disputes.
How Can Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault Help Preserve and Use Traffic Camera Evidence?
Traffic camera footage, Flock license plate reader data, and private surveillance recordings can provide valuable evidence after a car accident. At Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault, our personal injury attorneys work to identify potential camera evidence before recordings disappear. For accident victims in Toledo and throughout Northwest Ohio, this evidence may help identify vehicles, establish a timeline, and show how a collision occurred.
Our attorneys can investigate nearby cameras, review police reports, locate witnesses, and request preservation of relevant footage. We also compare camera evidence with vehicle damage, witness statements, and other records to help establish fault. Even when cameras do not capture the collision itself, vehicle descriptions, locations, and timestamps may help strengthen a personal injury claim.
Frequently Asked Questions About Traffic Camera Evidence in Ohio
Can Traffic Camera Footage Be Used as Evidence in a Car Accident Claim?
Yes. Traffic camera footage may be used as evidence in an Ohio car accident claim if it is relevant and can be properly authenticated. Recordings may help establish how a collision occurred, which vehicles were involved, and whether a driver violated traffic laws. However, the footage must be evaluated alongside other available evidence to determine liability.
Do Flock Cameras Record Car Accidents?
Standard Flock Safety license plate readers capture still images and identifying vehicle information rather than continuously recording video of traffic accidents. Although they generally cannot show how a collision occurred, they may help investigators identify vehicles that traveled through a monitored location around the time of an accident.
Can I Request Traffic Camera Footage After an Accident in Toledo?
Whether you can obtain traffic camera footage depends on who owns and operates the camera. Private businesses may voluntarily share recordings, while government traffic cameras may not retain footage. Under Ohio Revised Code § 149.43, automated license plate reader data maintained in law enforcement databases is generally exempt from ordinary public-records requests. An attorney can evaluate available options for identifying and preserving relevant evidence.
How Long Do Traffic Cameras Keep Accident Footage?
Retention periods vary depending on the camera system and the agency or property owner operating it. Some private security recordings are overwritten within days, while government systems may follow different retention policies. Because footage can disappear quickly, accident victims should report the collision promptly and identify potential camera locations as soon as possible.
Can Traffic Cameras Help Prove Who Was at Fault in an Accident?
Yes. Video footage showing the collision may help establish whether a driver ran a red light, failed to yield, made an unsafe lane change, or committed another traffic violation. License plate readers can provide supporting vehicle information but generally cannot establish fault on their own. Investigators may need to compare camera evidence with witness statements, police reports, and physical evidence.
Can an Attorney Help Obtain Traffic Camera Evidence?
Yes. A personal injury attorney can help identify potentially relevant cameras, contact appropriate agencies or property owners, request preservation of available recordings, and evaluate legal methods for obtaining evidence. Access is not guaranteed, but prompt action may improve the opportunity to locate footage before it is deleted or overwritten.
Can Traffic Camera Evidence Help Your Car Accident Claim? Call Us. We Can Help.
Traffic camera footage, Flock license plate reader data, and private surveillance recordings may provide critical evidence in determining how a car accident occurred and who may be responsible. Whether a camera captured the collision itself or recorded information about a vehicle involved, preserving that evidence before it disappears may make a significant difference in a personal injury claim.
The team at Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault Co., L.P.A. helps injured individuals investigate accidents, identify and preserve potential evidence, and understand their legal options. With more than 70 years of experience and nine office locations, our firm proudly serves clients throughout Northwest Ohio, Southeast Michigan, and Northeast Indiana.
If you were injured in a car accident in Toledo or the surrounding communities and believe traffic camera footage may help establish what happened, call 419-843-6663 for a free consultation or contact our office online.
Local. Trusted. Call Us. We Can Help.
Jonathan Ashton, Partner and Personal Injury Attorney, began his law career at GT&B in 2007 as a law clerk. He was hired as an associate immediately after passing the Ohio Bar in 2008. Jonathan practices in Personal Injury, representing clients who have been injured and need justice and compensation for them to move forward in their lives.
