Crash Investigations Flashcards

0
Q

What is the definition of crash?

A

An occurrence in a sequence of events involving at least one moving motor vehicle which produces in intended injury, death or property damage

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1
Q

What is the difference between crash and accident?

A

Crash: someone used poor driving strategies and tactics

Accident: implies no fault

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2
Q

What is crash prevention?

A

1) traffic enforcement
2) public education
3) roadway engineering
4) visible patrol
5) reporting of hazards

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3
Q

What is pre shift vehicle inventory?

A

Basic equipment

  • measuring tap
  • camera
  • spray paint/crayons

Must have equipment

  • Traffic vest
  • fire extinguisher
  • first aid kit
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4
Q

What is the percentage of survival if you wear your seatbelt?

A

80% more likely to survive if belted

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5
Q

What are some hit and run responses?

A

Obtain as much info as possible on suspect/vehicle and be aware of vehicles that you pass

Be aware of getaway routes

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6
Q

What happens if you crash while in route to a crash?

A

Someone will have to take the crash you were responding to

Someone will have to respond to your crash

You will have to account for your actions

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7
Q

What are steps to conduct a crash investigation?

A

Arrive safely

Care for injured

Secure and preserve scene to protect evidence and people

ID involved parties

Inspect the scene

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8
Q

What are traffic crash investigation questions?

A

Who, what, when, where, why and how…

The crash occurred

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9
Q

What are some things to be aware of with your car when arriving safely?

A

Is the trunk lid of car covering emergency lights

Proper use of overhead emergency lights

Use all the lights

Keep trunk lid down so lights are visible

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10
Q

What should you do when you arrive at the scene?

A

Radio your arrival and ems equipment needed

Park in safe position off the roadway or safe position to protect the scene

Make sure your trunk lid is shut and vehicle secured

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11
Q

What is required OSHA safety equipment?

A

Traffic safety vest

$7,000 fine if caught not wearing it

Makes you more visible

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12
Q

What should you look for when arriving to a scene?

A

Watch for hazards

  • power lines
  • fuel

Other types of hazards

  • bio
  • blood
  • body fluids
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13
Q

What are some steps in Determining injuries?

A

Be prepared to render first aid
Use proper procedures
Call medics if questions about injuries

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14
Q

What is the proper cone pattern?

A

Taper from curb

Create buffer zone

Extend pattern beyond scene

Cone spacing: 10-30 ft apart and required to be 24” high and have reflecting ring circumventing the cone

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15
Q

What are the regulations with flare use?

A

OSHA requires flares to be used in conjunction with cones

Flares work better in low light conditions

**do not put flares on roadway evidence **

Space the flares

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16
Q

What If it’s a more serious crash?

A

Block off entire street and create detour

Methods of blocking road (barricades, cones/flares, crime scene tape)

Other considerations

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17
Q

What is odot incident response unit?

A

Must notify odot whenever a state highway needs to be closed

Odot has responsibilities/authority over all state roads

Do NOT tell odot your closing their roads

Advise them you would like to close the road and allow odot to order closure

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18
Q

What is the exception to odot incident response unit?

A

If scene of crash is a crime, develop alternate route plans for traffic

Keep as many lanes open as possible

Once crime scene is collected advise it’s no longer a crime scene

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19
Q

Citizens directing traffic?

A

If you have a citizen directing traffic, you assume liability

Don’t have them direct traffic

If one is when you arrive, replace them ASAP

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20
Q

How should you document the scene for evidence?

A

Photographs: take 50% more than you need

Measure the site/scene/evidence

Collect evidence

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21
Q

What are categories of roadway evidence?

A
Area of impact 
Tire marks 
Roadway marks 
Debris pattern 
Fluid trails 
Rest position
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22
Q

What type of conditions should you inspect the scene for?

A

Physical condition
Roadway conditions
Vehicle conditions
Scene evidence

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23
Q

What are the three major categories of tire marks?

A

Skid marks

Scuff marks

Rolling print marks

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24
Q

What are skid marks?

A

A tire friction mark caused by a tire that is locked and sliding

Generally straight
Only one or two skid marks
Start light end dark
Front tire marks should be dark on outside, light to the inside

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25
Q

What are some factors that may cause a skid mark to not travel in a straight line?

A

Grade or slope of roadway

Unequal road surfaces

Rotating vehicle

Defective breaks

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26
Q

What are the different skid marks on surfaces?

A

1) Asphalt: oils and tars are brought to the surface by heat
2) Wet asphalt: erasure appearance
3) Concrete: white or like “cleaning” mark
4) Gravel/dirt-form of “furrow” plowing away material
5) Wet grass-matting down, not dig into grass, slide across
6) Ice: shiny and wet-short lives

27
Q

How do you measure roadway evidence (tire marks)?

A

Beginning of shadow to end of skid mark

Measure each mark separately

Note overlapping skids in comparison to shadow

28
Q

What is shadowing?

A

Mark caused by a tire that is rolling at a speed slower than the vehicle is traveling

Causes right before tired starts to skid

29
Q

Skip skid marks?

A

Fully locked tires that are jumping across the surface

30
Q

Gap skid marks?

A

Created by applying and releasing breaks

31
Q

Overlapping?

A

Trailing tire skids across the lead tire

32
Q

Rollover Threshold marks?

A

Marks seen prior to a vehicle rolling over

33
Q

What is evidence of yaw marks?

A

A tire rotating and slipping

Parallel stripe marks always curving
Striations

34
Q

What are Crash tire scuff marks?

A

Caused by rolling tire that is slipping

35
Q

Post crash scuffs?

A

Occurs when a vehicle rotates after impact

Useful for speed calculations

36
Q

What is front end wheel skids vs rear?

A

Front wheels skids are darker on outside edges

Rear wheels: darker on inside

37
Q

What are striations?

A

Oblique angles

Parallel to plane of axis

Skid marks in line with tire marks

38
Q

What is the best evidence for roadway marks?

A

Gouges-deeper and more surface orientated at the end

Tire marks-

Scrapes

39
Q

What are the two main areas to measure at a scene?

A

Scene measurement- measurements taken of physical evidence
-roadway/vehicle/physical evidence

Site measurements- measurements of the surrounding area
-shoulders/center line, intersections

40
Q

What are the three purposes of a field sketch?

A

Quick overall picture of the scene

Shows what points need to be measured

Start of a permanent record

41
Q

What type of physical evidence needs to be measured?

A

Everything
Final rest position location of injured/dead
View obstructions

42
Q

What are the three types of reference points?

A

Tangible-an object of permanent location , fire hydrant telephone pole etc

Semi tangible-related to a tangible location

Intangible-no tangible points

43
Q

What are the two types of measuring applications?

A

Triangulation: at least two separate measurements from two fixed points
Measure from one reference pint to evidence

Coordinate (baseline): worker friendly measurement, requires straight line created along a base line

*all measurements taken at 90 degree angle

44
Q

What type of crashes are measured?

A
All fatal crashes 
Prosecutable crashes 
Serious injury 
Government vehicle 
Pursuits
45
Q

If a truck is involved in a crash, what form needs to be used?

A

Truck collision form

Truck: -having at least 6 tires on road

  • Vehicle displaying hazardous place cards
  • bus with seating for MORE THAN 15 people including the driver
46
Q

What are the two reporting requirements?

A

Citizens report: must report to DMV within 72 hrs when crash involves death/injury or damage exceeding $1,500

Police report: shall complete a report within 10 days

47
Q

What are two types of impacts?

A

Centered-impacts through center of mass no vehicle rotation

Eccentric-causes vehicle to rotate around it’s center of mass

48
Q

What are the levels of investigations?

A

Basic crash reporting

At scene/technical investigations

Crash reconstruction

49
Q

What are the two types of main contact damages?

A

Contact -direct contact with another vehicle, pedestrian, object

Induced damage-non contact damage causes by forces transmitted through the vehicle
-bends/folds of metal

50
Q

What is windshield damage?

A

Contact windshield damage-object inside or out striking the windshield-spiderweb appearance

Induced windshield damage-damage to the vehicle other than windshield-parallel fracture patterns

Other glass damage- shattered windows

51
Q

What are the three events that take place in a vehicle during a crash?

A

Crash of vehicles-crash of cars, into object etc

Human/interior crash-occupant crashes into an object inside of car

Internal crash-internal organs of the body start to hit other organs

52
Q

What are proper first aid procedures?

A

Airway

Circulation

Breathing

53
Q

What are indentations?

A

Occurs from a vehicle that flips, vaults or rolls over

54
Q

What are evidence scratches?

A

Superficial marks on the surface of roadway

55
Q

What is evidence of debris?

A

Good indication of the area of impact

56
Q

What are the two types of evidence-final resting positions?

A

Uncontrolled: comes to rest on its own and is not moved from its final test

Controlled: comes to rest in a predetermined location

57
Q

What type of measurement is not recommended?

A

Pace method

58
Q

What is measuring vehicle placement?

A

Measuring center hubs of vehicles w/a small “T”

At least the hubs on one side of the vehicle

59
Q

Basic photography, size of objects?

A

Long range: should encompass the entire scene and reference landmarks

Medium range: more specific points

Close up photos: specific details

60
Q

Newtons laws?

A

A body at rest remains at rest and a body in motion remains in motion

A force acting on the body accelerates the body in line with the force

For every action there is an action or opposite reaction

61
Q

PDOF?

A

Principle direction of force

Measured in degrees and increases in clockwise direction

62
Q

Which way will a body move during the force of a crash?

A

Toward the force of the crash

63
Q

What are some “people evidence” ?

A

Windshield

Airbags

Seatbelt’s

64
Q

What documentation must an officer ask for if a truck driver is involved in an accident?

A

Medical card if operating under a CDL

Cannot ask for log book unless trained

65
Q

What are exterior damage factors in PDOF?

A

Frontal damage: frame rail shifts. Crush depth

Side damage: side damage widths