Road closures: Police explain why they are needed (From Yeovil Express)

Road closures: Police explain why they are needed

7:00pm Thursday 16th July 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

THE road policing unit has a responsibility to attend the scene of all fatal and potentially life-threatening car crashes to determine the cause of the incident.

Investigating a fatal road traffic collision can be a complicated process that often results in lengthy road closures and unhappy motorists.

But the decision to close a road is never taken lightly and Avon and Somerset police always seek to act in a proportionate, thorough and appropriate manner.

To date there have been 29 fatal collisions in the force area this year, many of which have occurred on vital road arteries during peak periods.

While this can be frustrating for drivers, the highest quality of investigation is the top priority as there is only one opportunity to secure evidence.

Officers have a moral obligation to provide answers to the families, as well as a legal obligation to collate a detailed report for the coroner and determine if any offences have been committed.

All fatal road traffic collisions are treated as crime scenes and have to be cordoned off at the earliest opportunity to preserve and secure any potential evidence.

This can be a painstaking process that can take several hours but it is absolutely crucial, as once the scene has been re-opened there is no opportunity to return and any potential evidence will be lost.

Numerous police personnel are involved in an incident with a senior investigating officer overseeing the process assisted by collision investigators, scene management officers, sergeants from the road policing unit, and a family liaison officer.

Different departments within the force may also attend such as CID or CSI while support groups, search teams and dogs are sometimes deployed as necessary.

Other organisations such as the fire and ambulance service, the Highways Department, VOSA, the undertaker and recovery agents also work closely with police throughout an incident.

Inspector Martin King, who is based in the road policing unit, said: “While we are not dealing with murder, we have still got to investigate any death fully. Sometimes we are four hours in and we have only just got access to very important information.

“We do our best to co-ordinate everything to be as fast as possible but we are reliant on a number of different organisations with different roles and competing priorities.

“The actual investigative process is probably the longest part and everything else revolves around the need to examine and gather all the evidence, as once we've gone the evidence is gone. The interdependency of all the different organisations is the hardest thing to co-ordinate.”

On arrival at an RTC a collision investigator will survey the area and put road closures in place to protect the scene and the public before marking every piece of evidence in order to produce a two dimensional plan.

This is done with the help of a ‘total station’ – an electronic instrument used in modern surveying to measure distances and capture spatial information.

The scene manager will keep a log of the entire process that forms part of the policy file. This is a very important document as it contains all of the witness details and can be disclosed to the defence should the case go to court.

Next, officers need to try to establish the line of travel of the vehicles involved – this is done by looking at the position of wheels, tyre marks, scratches, and sometimes marks on clothing.

Any blood or other potentially infectious material has to be cleaned by a specialist agency and the council’s highways department is then responsible for cleaning up any other debris such as oil and car parts.

Collision investigator Mark Stedman said: “It takes a good hour to have a look around. It is vital to establish if anyone is blameworthy.

"We need to see if there are any mechanical defects that could be contributory or whether there is alcohol on any driver.

“The longer we are there the more marks come out in the road. Often the most important evidence is underneath the vehicles so we have to wait until these are examined and removed.

"There could be tiny fibres from clothing on the road which will only appear some time after the incident.

"We understand that road closures can inconvenience other motorists but it is important to remember that someone has lost their life and we have a duty in law and a moral responsibility to the families, to carry out a full and detailed investigation to determine the cause of the incident.

“We do work hard to limit any inconvenience to others and liaise closely with the media very early on to alert motorists of any road closures or heavy traffic caused by a collision.

"Messages are posted onto the police website, interviews are conducted with local radio and television stations and newspapers are informed, so information can be cascaded to the public advising them to avoid the area and give an approximate time frame.

“In addition, we will often give media access to the collision scene in order to help illustrate the importance and complexity of the operation.

“It is not always possible to open just one lane to allow traffic to pass, as the safety of those at the scene – be it police officers, fire crew, paramedics or Highways officials – is paramount.

“We have well rehearsed plans in place and use advanced technology to ensure that we carry out a thorough investigation, which has to be our priority, but at the same time working hard to ensure we minimise disruption to other road users.”

It is the decision of the scene manager as to when the road re-opens and officers liaise with the press office to keep the media updated.

Avon and Somerset was the first force in the country to develop the idea of Family Liaison Officers who in addition to their daily duties, volunteer to act as the prime link with the family of road death victims, enabling them to keep informed and updated on any relevant procedures and how the investigation is progressing.

Family liaison officers also have a vital role to play at the scene of a collision. First - in trying to identify a victim, before trying to trace their next of kin. This can often involve working with other forces.

PC Dave Stiles has been a family liaison officer for the last six years.

He said: “My role is to deal with the family of he deceased. I liaise with the crime scene investigators and keep in touch with the family if there is an inquest further down the line.

"Piecing everything together is a very complicated process.

“Families always have questions which is why it is so vital we come to the scene. It can sometimes difficult to explain that you don’t have a definitive answer as to how their loved one died. It takes months to piece things together scientifically.”

Insp Martin King added: “The investigation has to be carried out in a series of sequences and the next phase cannot be undertaken until the previous one has been completed.

"Officers are aware of the potential for delays and the consequences to the travelling public. We understand the impact this may have on the local business community, who have deliveries to make and important meetings to attend.

"This is why we work hard to minimise disruption by keeping motorists as informed as possible. We try to get traffic flowing as quickly as we can, but this must never be to the detriment of the investigation.

"We are always appreciative of the patience shown by most people.”

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)