Police officials take crash course
Seconds after they were set in motion Monday at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, two cars collided and became a gnarled mess of metal and shattered glass.
The wreck was deemed a success by the drivers and the observers who came to learn more about investigating collisions.
The crash was one of six controlled accidents set up by North Las Vegas police Monday as part of their annual crash conference. The department hosts the four-day event and provides seminars and crash simulations for police and crash specialists.
"With reconstructing an accident, you're basically predicting what happened in the past," said Jim Byrne, lead investigator for the North Las Vegas police crash division.
About 235 people from around the country and the Las Vegas Valley attended the event. The crowd of police officers, engineers, software manufacturers and people from other crash reconstruction-related fields observed with the intensity of race fans. Cameras were hoisted as engines were started. The group flocked to the speedway when they were given the 'all clear' to inspect the crashes.
Byrne said the simulations were typical of accidents that investigators see daily.
Impounded vehicles and three donated 2009 Chrysler 300s were set up in head-on, side-on and rear-end scenarios with each other and a tractor trailer.
The conference attendees were invited to inspect the damage, gather calculations and compare formulas. Byrne said many of the investigators never get to witness a real-time crash. Monday's simulations help them be more thorough in future investigations.
"We're testing their knowledge, enhancing their knowledge and they'll be able to say 'Hey, now I have another tool to put in my toolbox for a crash like this,' " he said.
New data recorders were tested Monday, including "black box technology." Byrne said the devices provide often irrefutable data that can assist officers and outside parties, such as insurance companies and prosecutors.
"We want to make sure we have our facts in order," Byrne said, adding that if he's arresting someone for a felony, "I don't want to make a mistake that impacts their life."
Contact reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.
