There has been an accident.
'Incidente' — in-chi-DEN-te. Four syllables; soft 'c' before 'i'; stress on the third syllable.
Say this to authorities or emergency services when you witness or are involved in a road accident. In Italy, you must stop and exchange details — fleeing the scene is a criminal offence.
'C'è stato' is the passato prossimo of the existential 'c'è' — has there been/there has been. 'Incidente' means accident (road, workplace, or general). For traffic accidents, Italians also say 'sinistro' — a more technical/insurance term.
Ho urtato la macchina davanti.
I hit the car in front.
'Urtare' means to bump or hit lightly.
Dobbiamo compilare il CID?
Do we need to fill in the accident report form?
The CID (Constatazione Amichevole di Incidente) is the European accident form.
Chiamo la polizia?
Should I call the police?
Police must be called if there are injuries.
The CID (Constatazione Amichevole di Incidente) — also called 'modulo blu' (blue form) — is the European standard accident declaration form. It must be signed by both drivers and submitted to your insurer. If there are injuries or disagreement, call the Polizia Stradale (112 or 113). All Italian cars must carry this form.