Police & ForensicsFatal and serious injury crash investigation
Someone died or was seriously hurt in the crash. After first aid you secure the scene and the witnesses, and a whole team takes over: supervisors, detectives, traffic safety, the accident investigator and the forensic unit, each with its own tasks, plus the early notice to the DMV within 24 hours. It is the fatal and serious physical injury procedure of the Albany Police Department (New York) general order on traffic collision investigations.
Free to startScenarios
- A crash with a fatality.
- A crash with a serious physical injury.
- A serious injury crash where criminal charges such as reckless driving are likely.
The steps
- The first officers render first aid as needed, then secure the scene and any witnesses.
- The shift supervisor responds, and the operations lieutenant makes sure command staff are notified as needed.
- The on-scene supervisor has the detective supervisor, the traffic safety supervisor and the forensic unit lieutenant notified; the detective and traffic safety supervisors respond and coordinate the investigation.
- The supervisor decides whether to call a certified accident investigator, a crash reconstruction officer, the forensic scan team, an ARIDE officer or a Drug Recognition Expert.
- Detectives photograph the scene, collect forensic evidence including video, secure search warrants for physical evidence and secure statements.
- Detectives are the liaison with the victim's family, and they interview the suspect only after alcohol or drug testing is complete.
- Traffic safety investigates the collision, runs the alcohol and drug testing of the drivers, coordinating a blood draw if appropriate, and carries out the forensic scan.
- Traffic safety secures search warrants for the mechanical inspection of the vehicles and notifies the District Attorney's office.
- The accident investigator completes forms MV-104A, MV-104D and MV-104EN and decides whether a scale diagram and a reconstruction are needed.
- Send the early notification MV-104EN to the DMV within 24 hours of every fatal crash, or within 48 hours when sent electronically from TraCS.
- The accident investigator completes the initial investigation report and coordinates the follow-up with the Criminal Investigations Unit if a criminal act may have occurred.
- Forensic unit investigators help with the measurements and the scene diagram, take photographs, collect physical evidence and off-scene data and file their evidence and photo report.
- Arrange the personal notification of the victim's next of kin, following the department's notification procedures.
- The forensic scan team officer or accident investigator compiles and keeps a complete case file with copies of all relevant documents.
To pass
- Fatal crashes, officer-involved crashes with an injury and serious injury crashes where criminal charges are likely get a follow-up investigation by the forensic scan team or an accident investigator.
- The follow-up gathers more data, coordinates expert help and prepares formal reports to support criminal charges.
- The early notification program of fatal crashes is part of NHTSA's federal crash reporting requirements.
Official source
General Order 3.4.10: Traffic Collision Investigations
The City of Albany publishes its police general order on traffic collision investigations free: the scene steps, the reports and who reviews them.
Making Synapses is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by NHTSA, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, the Albany Police Department or any law enforcement agency. Agency and form names are named only to describe the content.