I'm not so sure informing the police would have helped.  If anything it might slow down the process as they work through the police bureaucracy.

It wont affect the speed as the insurer will simply confirm it was reported, and that the load was insecure.  Their investigation/action wont have any bearing on things.

sorry to hijack the thread but something very similar happened to me last year, read about it here: http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/232185-firby-in-traffic-collision/