Erie County
In Buffalo the Buffalo Police Department writes most city crash reports, and its Accident Investigation Unit works out of 68 Court Street downtown. Erie County covers many of the towns outside the city. Call 911 if anyone is hurt. Trade insurance and plate numbers. Photograph the intersection and the damage. A free case check organizes what happened so an attorney can review it.
Free. Not legal advice. Starting a case check does not mean we represent you.
Where this comes from
We checked these original sources on September 5, 2026. Each link opens the source so you can read it for yourself.
Original links
Order and Access Motor Vehicle Crash (Accident) Reports
Accident Investigation Unit, Buffalo Police Department
Obtaining an Accident Report
Request for Copy of Police Accident Report (TA-W4310)
New York State DMV and the Buffalo Police Accident Investigation Unit
Buffalo does not sell crash reports on its own city site. Police reports go to the state DMV, and the county and the Thruway have their own routes for crashes outside the city.
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Ask the Buffalo officer for the report number and the unit that will write it. The Buffalo Police Accident Investigation Unit is listed in the city directory at 68 Court Street in downtown Buffalo, and that number makes every later request faster.
City of Buffalo02
Police crash reports statewide are filed with the New York DMV. Search the DMV online crash report portal with an NY.gov ID using the crash date and Erie County, plus a plate, VIN or license number, then download the PDF.
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles03
The Erie County Sheriff handles many crashes in the towns around Buffalo. The Sheriff points people to an online crash report service and says you must enter your name, the date of the accident and the accident report number to get a copy.
Erie County Sheriff's Office04
The Thruway request form says the system takes in I-90 west of Albany to the Pennsylvania border and I-190 connecting Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Those reports come from the Thruway Authority on that form, sent by mail or by email to the address printed on it.
New York State Thruway AuthorityAgencies change their forms, portals and fees. Open the linked page before you pay for anything, and keep a copy of every request you send.
Federal fatal-crash counts, 2022 to 2024
That is 5.1% of every fatal crash the federal file records in the state over the same three years.
These are crashes in which at least one person died within 30 days, as counted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They are not a count of all crashes, injuries, insurance claims or lawsuits, and most crashes are not in this file at all.
The counts are not adjusted for population, road miles or how much people drive, so they cannot say one place is more dangerous than another. A crash appearing here does not show who was at fault, whether anyone was insured or whether anyone has a claim.
Questions
Get the report number from the officer, then order the report from the New York DMV, which holds police crash reports for the whole state. The city directory lists the Buffalo Police Accident Investigation Unit at 68 Court Street downtown if you need to ask about the report itself.
It depends on which department responded in Erie County. The Erie County Sheriff sends people to an online crash report service and asks for your name, the date of the accident and the report number. Many towns and villages also run their own police departments and keep their own reports.
The Thruway request form says the system takes in I-90 west of Albany to the Pennsylvania border and I-190 between Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Reports for crashes there come from the New York State Thruway Authority on that form, which you mail or email to the address printed on it.
Yes. You can start a free case check for a Buffalo or Erie County crash in English or Spanish from anywhere, and you can call or text. Vetted Cases does not have an office in New York. Gregory S. Hach looks at it as the initial attorney reviewer.
A quick reality check
This page cannot decide fault, medical cause, insurance coverage, legal deadlines, case value or whether you have a claim. Those questions depend on the complete facts, records, state law and a licensed attorney's review.
Last updated
We opened every Buffalo agency page linked here on this date and rewrote anything that had changed.
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