accident
The French word 'accident' is used similarly to the English word 'accident'. It refers to an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance. It can be used in a variety of contexts from car accidents (accident de voiture) to workplace accidents (accident de travail).
There was an accident on the freeway.
This sentence describes a past event where an accident occurred on a freeway. In French, the verb 'avoir' (to have) is often used to express the occurrence of an event.
I saw a car accident yesterday.
This sentence describes a past event from the speaker's perspective. The phrase 'J'ai vu' (I saw) depicts the speaker as a witness to a car accident the day before.
He can avoid the accident by slowing down.
This sentence speculates a future event, specifically an accident, that can be prevented if the person slows down. Again, we find 'accident' used as a noun, not suffix.