400-08 City Vehicle Crashes

Question 1

All traffic crashes involving City vehicles or equipment, whether on public or private property, and regardless whether the City vehicle is being driven, occupied, or is parked, must be reported immediately by the employee having care and custody of the vehicle or equipment at the time of the crash.

Answer 1

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Question 2

City vehicle crashes which occur on a freeway or major roadway shall be immediately moved to a crash investigation site, when available or another safe site off the freeway when:

Answer 2

a. No one is injured and

b. Each vehicle involved can be normally and safely driven.

Question 3

Vehicles are not to be moved to the shoulder of the roadway, but are to be moved to a location completely off the roadway. An officer who is involved in a crash, in which no one is injured, shall immediately notify the dispatcher and then move the vehicle off the roadway.

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Question 4

If the City vehicle crash occurs within the city limits of Houston, as soon as possible, employees shall notify the Emergency Communications Division and an immediate supervisor that they have been involved in a crash.

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Question 5

If the City vehicle crash occurs outside the city limits of Houston, but within the CIA, the employee shall notify the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the crash location and an on duty Vehicular Crimes Division supervisor as soon as possible.

Answer 5

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Question 6

Any employee involved in a crash with a City vehicle outside the CIA shall have a crash report prepared in accordance with the procedures of the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the crash location. A copy of this report shall be obtained by the employee involved in the crash and submitted to the Vehicular Crimes Division and to the employee’s immediate supervisor.

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Question 7

If the City vehicle crash occurs outside the CIA and involves serious bodily injury or a fatality, the employee shall notify the Command Center as soon as possible.

Answer 7

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Question 8

In all cases, the employee shall obtain the following information from all persons involved in the crash unless the information is obtained by a Vehicular Crimes Division officer investigating the crash or the employee is incapacitated or advised otherwise by a supervisor:

Answer 8

a. Complete names, addresses, and phone numbers (home and business).
b. Driver license, identification, and social security numbers (where applicable).
c. Make, model, year, vehicle identification number, and license plate number of all vehicles involved.
d. Name, address, phone number, and policy number of the vehicle owner’s insurance carrier.
e. Witness information.

Question 9

The supervisor of the employee involved in the crash shall be contacted as soon as possible, and if on duty shall report to the scene. If the supervisor is not on duty or is not readily available, an alternate supervisor from the respective division shall be sent to the scene.

Answer 9

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Question 10

A Vehicular Crimes Division unit and supervisor shall be assigned to investigate City vehicle crashes occurring inside the CIA ifthey involve:

Answer 10

a. A police or fire department vehicle.
b. Catastrophic Injury (e.g. ejections, life flight, auto pedestrian crashes with serious bodily injury, or other crashes with serious bodily injury).
c. A fatality.

The Vehicular Crimes Division unit shall complete the investigation in accordance with standard operating procedures and document the incident by generating a crash report.

Question 11

In the event that a citizen is seriously injured or killed as a result of a City vehicle crash, the Vehicular Crimes Division shall be responsible for notifying the next of kin as soon as possible.

Answer 11

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Question 12

A Vehicular Crimes Division unit and supervisor shall investigate crashes involving police vehicles inside the CIA resulting in no damage and no injury. The employee’s supervisor shall be contacted as soon as possible, and if on duty shall report to the scene. If the supervisor is not on duty or is not readily available, an alternate supervisor from the respective division shall be sent to the scene. The Vehicular Crimes Division shall document the incident by generating a crash report. The report shall not be forwarded to the Texas Department of Transportation; no correspondence shall be generated; and no disciplinary action shall be taken.

Answer 12

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Question 13

If a City vehicle crash occurs outside the CIA and does not result in property damage or injury, the involved employee shall request the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction to generate a crash report (even if non-reportable) or an incident report. The employee shall obtain a copy of the report as soon as possible.

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Question 14

Employees involved in no-damage and no-injury crashes that are not investigated by the Vehicular Crimes Division, shall generate correspondence describing the incident. The correspondence and a copy of any reports generated by the outside agency shall be sent through the chain of command to the Vehicular Crimes Division.

Answer 14

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Question 15

If the outside agency involved refuses to generate any type of report, the HPD employee involved in the crash shall document the names of the persons and circumstances connected with the event in correspondence that shall be forwarded through the chain of command to the Vehicular Crimes Division.

Answer 15

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Question 16

If an on duty City employee or a City vehicle was involved in the crash, the investigating officer or a supervisor making the scene shall immediately notify the Command Center if the crash:

Answer 16

a. Involved a fatality.
b. Involved more than two persons who were seriously injured.
c. Involved three or more vehicles.
d. Involved a vehicular police pursuit.
e. Involved a head injury, spinal injury, or injuries consisting of a stroke, amputation, heart attack, serious electrical shock, multiple fractures, or serious burns.
f. Created a hazardous condition endangering life.
g. Is spectacular enough to draw the attention of the news media.

In these situations, the Command Center shall immediately provide the following information to the City of Houston Risk Management Division’s Safety Section:
h. The number of fatalities.
i. The name and number of persons seriously injured.
j. The number of vehicles involved.
k. The time and location of the crash.
I. The name, work section, and telephone number of the person reporting the crash.

The crash investigation is not to be delayed in order to await the arrival of Safety Section personnel

Question 17

If the City vehicle crash occurred at a signalized intersection and was a major crash involving a police vehicle or fatalities or possible fatalities, a scene supervisor shall advise the Command Center. The Command Center unit shall then advise the City of Houston Public Works and Engineering Office of the incident.

Answer 17

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Question 18

An employee involved in a City vehicle crash shall prepare and submit correspondence detailing the circumstances of the crash to his or her immediate supervisor.

Answer 18

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Question 19

All correspondence associated with the crash shall be addressed through the chain of command to the employee’s assistant chief. If disciplinary action is recommended, the correspondence shall be addressed to the Chief of Police.

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Question 20

The Crash Review Board (CRB) shall review all motor vehicle crashes involving employees who are operating City vehicles. The CRB shall make recommendations for disciplinary action on all City vehicle crashes regardless of cause or fault.

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Question 21

The Crash Review Board shall be comprised of classified employees recommended by the board’s presiding assistant chief and confirmed by the Chief of Police. Board members shall include

Answer 21

one assistant chief who shall be the chairperson (appointed by the Chief of Police), one captain, one lieutenant, one sergeant, one police officer, and one representative from the majority bargaining agent (MBA) who shall have been selected by the MBA or named as an alternate and approved by the Chief of Police.

Question 22

Unless amended by the Chief of Police, all terms of office shall be for one year, as follows:

Answer 22

a. Assistant Chief June 1 - May 31
b. Captain Oct. 1 - Sept. 30
c. Lieutenant Aug. 1- July 31
d. Sergeant Sept. 1- Aug. 31
e. Police Officer Sept. 1- Aug. 31
f. MBA Sept. 1- Aug. 31

Question 23

The Vehicular Crimes Division shall provide staff support for the Crash Review Board by compiling and providing fleet crash statistical data as requested.

Answer 23

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Question 24

The Employee Services Division shall provide staff support to the Crash Review Board by documenting personnel actions arising from fleet crashes.

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Question 25

The driver-training staff of the Training Division shall serve in an advisory capacity and act upon any recommendations and suggestions relative to improving the department’s fleet safety driver training.

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Question 26

The provisions under this section apply to crashes involving solo motorcycles operated by officers assigned to the Solo Motorcycle Detail.

Answer 26

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Question 27

The provisions under this section apply to crashes involving solo motorcycles operated by officers assigned to the Solo Motorcycle Detail.

Crashes involving solo motorcycles which occur while the employee is on duty shall be investigated by

Answer 27

the Vehicular Crimes Division and be handled and subject to the same provisions, procedures, and requirements established in this General Order which are applicable to situations or crashes involving City vehicles or police vehicles including referral to the CRB and consideration for possible discipline.

Question 28

The provisions under this section apply to crashes involving solo motorcycles operated by officers assigned to the Solo Motorcycle Detail.

Crashes occurring while the employee is off duty shall be investigated by

Answer 28

the Vehicular Crimes Division if it occurs within the city limits. Crashes occurring while off duty shall not be referred to the CRB for review and consideration for disciplinary recommendations by the CRB.

Question 29

Employees shall notify their chain of command in writing of any crash that is not investigated by the Houston Police Department.

Answer 29

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Question 30

The provisions under this section apply to crashes involving vehicles that are owned or leased by outside agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or other federal or state agencies that are assigned to employees by virtue of their employment with the police department.

Crashes involving vehicles owned or leased by outside agencies that occur while the employee is on duty shall be investigated by

Answer 30

the Vehicular Crimes Division and be handled and subject to the same provisions, procedures, and requirements established in this General Order which are applicable to situations or crashes involving City vehicles or police vehicles including referral to the CRB

Question 31

The provisions under this section apply to crashes involving vehicles that are owned or leased by outside agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or other federal or state agencies that are assigned to employees by virtue of their employment with the police department.

Crashes occurring while the employee is off duty shall be investigated by

Answer 31

the Vehicular Crimes Division if it occurs within the city limits. Crashes occurring while off duty shall not be referred to the CRB for review and consideration for disciplinary recommendations by the CRB.

Question 32

Employees involved in an outside agency vehicle crash shall notify their chain of command in writing of the crash.

Answer 32

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Question 33

The employee shall provide copies of any reports or correspondence received from the outside agency regarding the crash including any notice received by the employee that the outside agency is conducting an administrative investigation into the crash. These documents shall be provided to the employee’s supervisor. The supervisor shall provide the documents to the Vehicular Crimes Division if that division is investigating the crash on behalf of the department

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Question 34

Even if the employee was not at fault in the crash, the Chief of Police reserves the right to require any employee to attend the defensive driving course or the pursuit driving course when they are involved in a crash while operating a City or police department vehicle or when they are
involved in a crash while operating a solo motorcycle or outside agency vehicle while on duty. Required attendance at the defensive driving course or the pursuit driving course shall not preclude appropriate disciplinary action or restitution.

Answer 34

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