Accident Reconstruction

Unfortunately, every community has traffic accidents occasionally. With the advances in automotive safety over the past decades motorists are safer than ever before. However, vehicles are much more powerful than they used to be. The least expensive economy car of today far surpasses some of the more advanced cars of previous decades.

Add into the mix the use of handheld devices, cup holders and remote work the modern driver is far more distracted than ever. Consequently, accidents still happen. If it is a run of the mill fender bender, the patrol officer on duty handles the reporting. If, however, it is a more significant accident with serious injury or heavy property damage the accident reconstruction expert is called in. In Croton the call goes to Officer Mark Fielding.

On scene Officer Fielding partners with the County and State police agencies who have highly technical computer-based tools which calculate speeds, slide and skid distances, and crush details of the vehicles involved. The computer program does very complicated math formulas which are accurate and a huge time saver for our agency. A perfect example of shared services.

The computer program then produces a report which Officer Fielding analyzes and completes his detailed report. This can be used to assign fault or assist in prosecution if warranted.

Suffice it to say, the old-fashioned tape measure is obsolete, and Mark Fielding’s degree in Engineering comes in handy.

This article was written by members of the Police Advisory Committee as part of the Community Information Project.