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Accident Investigation

Accident Investigation . Patrol Officer Responsibilities. Accident Call Initiated. You should know… Location Severity Whether traffic or highway is blocked Make a decision on route. Response to the Scene. Determine if there is a true emergency If yes, use lights AND siren

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Accident Investigation

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  1. Accident Investigation Patrol Officer Responsibilities

  2. Accident Call Initiated • You should know… • Location • Severity • Whether traffic or highway is blocked • Make a decision on route

  3. Response to the Scene • Determine if there is a true emergency • If yes, use lights AND siren • If no, respond quickly but within all rules of the road • Adhere to all statutes: • 346.03 • 346.04 • 347.38 • Follow all department policies

  4. Be Alert! • Hit and run vehicles fleeing away from the accident • Excessive speed • Equipment malfunctions • Damaged parts • If possible, call out 28 and description but continue to the accident if you are the primary officer

  5. Arrival at the Scene • Protect the scene • Be close • Be alert for hazards • Spills • Gases • Wires • Stay UPWIND AND UPHILL if there are potential hazmat danger!!!!

  6. First Assessment • Look around • Request additional… • Officers if • There is more than one vehicle involved • Roads need to be closed and traffic re-routed • Fire if smoke, spills, or hazmat exists • Ambulance if people appear injured or killed (one ambulance for every injured person) • Wreckers • Rescue

  7. Care for the Injured • This is the primary responsibility of the responding officer • Protecting the scene from secondary crashes must be done first • Triage first, treat serious injuries first • Turn over treatment to EMS with a report

  8. Determine if Hit and Run • Obtain description of vehicle • Use CYMBAL • Get direction of travel and time of accident • Description of driver and occupants if possible • Don’t forget the license plate!!! • Send out ATL • Preserve all evidence

  9. Locate and Interview Accident Participants • Interview all drivers, pedestrians, or other INVOLVED in the accident • Keep them separated • Ask each, “What happened?” • Get basic information from all (name, DOB, etc..) • Keep an open mind • Tell each party that you will be talking with them again to follow up

  10. Specific Questions • Remember to maintain constitutional issues • Determine: • OWI? • Injured? • Tired? • Physically disabled? • Suicidal or other unusual behavior? • Also ask: • Insurance information • Seat belt • Occupant identities

  11. Interview Hints • Interview separately • Do the interviews as soon as possible after the accident • Question them regarding • Their trip plan • When they first perceived danger • What he or she was doing just before the accident • How fast were they going • What evasive action if any, they took • Condition of the vehicle • Look inside the vehicle later for evidence of Inattentive Driving or OWI

  12. Interview Witnesses • Ask each of them open-ended questions • “What happened?” or “What did you see?” • Where were you • What called your attention to the accident? • How fast were the vehicles going? • Did you see brake lights? • Did you hear braking noise? • Remember to get basic information for follow-up interviews and for court as most will be anxious to get going!

  13. Check the Scene for Physical Evidence • In some situations, the evidence may be disappearing so you may have to act quickly to preserve it • Skid marks • Straight skids • Shadow skids • Other skids • General vehicle crush • Debris on the roadway

  14. Evidence continues • Gouges on the roadway • Fluids • Traffic signs and devices • Lamp examination • Road conditions • OWI and drug use evidence

  15. Specific Vehicle Evidence • Contact damage • Induced damage (typically crumbling or broken glass) • Vehicle equipment violations • Brakes • Lights • Tires • Light switch position • Airbag deployment

  16. Photograph the Scene • Seriousness determines need for photos • Prior to vehicles being moved if possible • Photograph • Overall scene • Vehicle damage • Traffic signs and controls • Road gouges • Skid marks • Debris • Injured parties or bodies • Video record all serious or fatal accidents

  17. Measure the Scene • Use the XY coordinate system • Complete a field sketch • Outline the roadway edges first • Add vehicles final resting points (if known) • Add skid marks • Add other evidence • Measure all evidence locations and roadway features including crosswalks, signs, ditches, shoulders, etc…

  18. Clear Up Accident Scene • Tow all vehicles • Clean up all glass and parts • Open road to traffic • Make arrangements to transport parties left without vehicles

  19. Take Appropriate Enforcement Action • Arrest • Cite party most at fault for the violation that most contributed to the crash • Almost all accidents should result in a citation for the party that was at fault • Remember to consider all factors in the investigation NOTE!!!! Don’t investigate accidents where there is a conflict of interest

  20. Complete Accident Report • Note the criteria for reportable accidents • $1000 vehicles (including gov vehicles) • $1000 personal property • $200 government property • Injury • Fatality • Complete within 10 days • Include diagram • Possible contributing factors are some of the most important fields…

  21. Questions???

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