by Eugene Stevens

Created on: December 31, 2008   Last Updated: September 28, 2010

Accident investigation is the most technical aspect of a Police Officer's job here in Illinois. Police Officers in the many jurisdictions in Illinois must receive basic level training on traffic crash reporting at the academy level, however the process of becoming a full fledged accident investigator (AI) is far more complicated. The advanced levels of training for an AI is a multi-level course, which requires extensive study and a working knowledge of higher mathematics, particularly in the area of algebra. The final stage of accident investigation is a "reconstruction course", where an AI learns how to reconstruct the exact circumstances of a traffic crash from a forensic perspective.

The scene of a traffic crash can be very confusing, and it takes training and expertise to decipher the physical evidence left at such a scene of chaos. Especially in the case of a motorcycle accident. This is a classification of traffic crash where serious injury and death is imminent.

A traffic crash scene in Illinois is considered a crime scene and usually treated as such until a complete and thorough investigation is completed. There are several vehicular crimes which can be committed in the course of operating a motor vehicle Illinois, including reckless conduct, vehicular homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. These aspects of the investigation mandate that responding Police Officers immediately secure and preserve any type of traffic crash scene.

In motorcycle crashes, it is highly probable that the motorcycle operator will be incapacitated and unable to give an immediate account of what occurred at the scene, and witnesses may be hard to locate. It also generally understood that Insurance companies highly encourage drivers to refrain from talking about what occurred at the scene of an accident, so if there is another motor vehicle operator involved as a striking vehicle, that driver may be reluctant to speak about the accident and/or provide accurate information.

Therefore, it is important for responding officers to make some very important decisions in the first moments of arriving on the scene of a traffic crash involving a motorcycle. Upon arrival, Officers must see that the victim or victims receive medical attention. They must then secure the scene and quickly determine if they are qualified to handle the investigation. In cases of serious injury, where death could occur later or if death has already occurred, it is highly recommended

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