The Crash Investigation Unit is a specialized
unit that investigates all motor vehicle crashes involving fatalities,
serious bodily injuries, and fleet accidents. The members of this unit
have had at least 200 hours in specialized training in crash investigations
and reconstruction. The members of the Unit rotate responsibilities for
being called out in teams of two with one supervisor for all major collisions
within the city. Members of this unit are on call 24 hours and available
for any crash of a serious nature.
The Unit has obtained various instruments in the past
year that assist the investigators in the accuracy and clarity of their
determinations. The instruments are a Nikon Total Mapping Station, a Vericom
VC-2000, and Aims Production Software. The Nikon Station allows the investigators
to map a collision scene accurately, to scale, and in less time than conventional
methods. This helps open roadways faster than what was previously available.
The Vericom system allows investigators to obtain accurate road drag factors
and acceleration factors in approximately 85% less time than conventional
methods. Drag factors are used to assist in determining vehicle speeds
at the time of the collision under investigation. An acceleration factor
is used to allow investigators to figure time and distance of accelerating
vehicles.
The mission and goal of this Unit is to prove how any
collision investigated occurred by evidence and not suppositions.
The members on the Crash Investigation Unit are Patrol
Commander M. Bennett, Officer T. Penkala, Officer R. Hash, Sgt. T. Hewitt,
Sgt. K. Lanier, Officer T. Foster, Officer J. Turpinat, and Officer K.
Hopkins.