This is the 13780th most frequent German word.
erfassen
"Erfassen" means "to capture, grasp, comprehend, or record."
In this sentence, 'erfassen' is used in the sense of 'to comprehend or grasp' an abstract concept, such as the meaning of a text.
Ich konnte die Bedeutung des Textes auf Anhieb erfassen.
I was able to grasp the meaning of the text immediately.
Here, 'erfassen' is utilized to denote 'to collect or record' information systematically, as in the functioning of a system.
Die Software erfasst alle Daten automatisch.
The software automatically captures all the data.
In this usage, 'erfassen' refers to the physical act of being 'hit or struck' by something, contextualizing within a narrative of an accident.