INVESTIGATION OF AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS

Vehicles of transportation are responsible for a great number of fatalities all over the world. They can be in any manner suicidal, hit and drive case or over speeding. Road accident cases make it difficult to reconstruct the crime scene. There are multiple actions taken to identify the mode or manner of death. In vehicular accidental deaths, retrospective visit is helpful in making conclusions about the death. Photography is an integral part of the scene investigation. A Forensic Pathologist should visit the scene of death. A meticulous autopsy helps to study the nature and pattern of Injury, cause of death and circumstances surrounding the death which can be the Road Construction. Safety precautions in Motor Vehicles and also help evaluate standards in Management of Victims of Road Traffic Collisions in the Emergency Medical services.

Following steps are taken to Investigate the Vehicle accident crime scene –

• Crime Scene :

Seeing or observing the crime scene is the first step to start an investigation. Tracks leading to and from the scene indicate direction of travel and speed. The broken headlights, wind-shield, bumper, mudguards, parking lights, mirrors, spotlight etc., should be collected. Skid marks and other road markings should be measured and photographed. The locations of vehicles, the type of road, the location and positions of victims on the road, distance and direction of the victims from the impact, and size and direction of blood on the road should be noted and photographed.

• The case vehicles :

The vehicles involved in accidents should be photographed from various angles to record the type and amount of damage. Measurements of vehicles are made to determine the amount of the formation and collapse of various structures. Photographs of the interior of the vehicle should be taken, especially areas of deformation and of the impact points. Look for human tissue, blood, hair, cloth fiber’s, etc., at the possible points of impact.

• The accident victims :

In a fatal accident, photographs of the victim should be taken to show his position relative to the vehicle. Closing observe the body of victims there can be paint, smudge marks, grease marks and dirt on the body that should be noted. The clothes may show imprints of tyer, pieces of glass or metals. The clothes should be examined while still on body to determine any evidence to indicate what part of the vehicle struck the victim.  The description of nature, size, extent and location of the injuries may identify some wounds on the body with some object or part of the vehicle in question. Primary impact injuries vary in extent and severity in different cases depending on the position of the pedestrian and on the speed of the vehicle and the part of the vehicle hitting the person. The secondary impact injuries should be described.

Above steps gives us the detailed crime scene structure where we can find following details which are:

• Time and date of accident.
• Name of decedent, whether Driver, passenger or pedestrian
• Position’s of victims and degree of injuries
• Brief background information about the decedent if suicide suspected
• Findings indicating suspicion of foul play
• Make and position of vehicle and degree of damage
• Behavior’s of vehicle prior to crash
• Points of impacts and relative positions of vehicles (if more than one)
• Estimated speed of vehicle and posted speed limit
• Condition of road.
• Skid marks, brake marks
• Weather conditions (rain, fog) and lighting condition
• Can reconstruction of the accident scene

Autopsy

Autopsy plays an important role in crime scenes. Which determines the following findings –

• Determination of the Cause of death.
• Determination of the Manner of death
• Establishment of the identity of the decedent
• Reconstruction of the crash to determine its cause
• Identification of the driver and reconstruction of the positions of the victims prior to the accident
• Differentiation of injuries caused by being hit from those caused by being run over
• Identification of the automobile in the case of hit and run incidents
• Determination of the significance of these injuries in a case of delayed deaths

Documentation – Chain of custody

Documentation is the most important process that tracks all the movement of evidence through its collection, safeguarding, and analysis lifecycle by documenting each person who handled the evidence, the date/time it was collected or transferred, and the purpose for the transfer.

Documentation of the findings to aid legal processes in Vehicle accident may be contains  –

• Scene investigation with photographs
• Collection of evidence-clothing, paint traces, glass splinters, oil spots, rust, bloodspot
• Complete autopsy with recording of injuries by description, drawings and photograph
• Follow up study – Examination of vehicle, driver, and alcohol intoxication.