THE VIRGINIA

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

CRASH INVESTIGATION

TEAM (VMCIT)

DR. MEREDITH ROMITO

SENIOR TROOPER WALT REEL

WHO STARTED THE TEAM?

• Virginia Crash

Investigation Team

formed in 1971 by the

(then) Highway Safety

Division.

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH

UNIVERSITY

• 1995, the VCIT

became a part of the

Transportation Safety

Training Center within

the (Wilder) School

for Public Policy at

Virginia

Commonwealth

University.

2006

• The Virginia Crash

Investigation Team in

2006

WHAT DID THE TEAM DO?

• TRAININGS

• LECTURES

• PRESENTATIONS

MULTIDISCIPLINARY????

• MULTIPLE

DISCIPLINES

COMING

TOGETHER

VMCIT IS BACK!!!!

WHAT DOES MULTIDISCIPLINARY

CONSIST OF?

ISOLATE IDENTIFY UNDERSTAND

WHO MAKES UP THE TEAM?

• PSYCHOLOGIST

• VIRGINIA STATE TROOPER

• HIGHWAY ENGINEER

THE PSYCHOLOGIST

• STUDIES HUMAN FACTORS-

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND

PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS

• INTERVIEWS

• PREPARES REPORTS

WHAT ARE HUMAN FACTORS?

• HUMAN FACTORS

(ERGONOMICS); IS THE

COMBINATION OF

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND

PHYSIOLOGICAL

FACTORS

• EXAMINE “FIT”

BETWEEN HUMAN AND

THE ENVIRONMENT

UNDERSTANDING HUMAN

FACTORS …..

*REDUCE HUMAN ERROR

*INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY

*ENHANCE SAFETY AND COMFORT

*OPTIMIZE HUMAN WELL-BEING

*IMPROVE OVERALL PERFORMANCE

*UNDERSTANDING INTERACTIONS AMONG HUMANS

AND ELEMENTS OF A SYSTEM

THE PSYCHOLOGIST’S DUTIES

• TRAVEL THROUGHOUT VIRGINIA TO CRASH SITES

• EXAMINE CRASH SITES

• ADDRESS OCCUPANT KINEMATICS

• CONDUCT INTERVIEWS WITH FAMILY AND

WITNESSES

• WRITE REPORTS AND CREATE

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PREVENTION

• TRAINING DEVELOPMENT/LECTURES

• KEEP CURRENT IN RESEARCH

THE VIRGINIA STATE TROOPER

• GATHERS PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AT

CRASH SITES

• RECEIVED SPECIALIZED TRAINING

• INSPECTS DEFICIENCIES

• DETERMINE VIOLATION OF THE LAW

THE TROOPER’S DUTIES

• TRAVEL THROUGHOUT VIRGINIA TO CRASH SITES

• COLLECT PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

• RECONSTRUCT THE CRASH

• DETERMINE VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW

• ASSIST WITH INTERVIEWS

• LIASON BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT

• TRAINING/LECTURES

• WRITE REPORTS

THE HIGHWAY ENGINEER

THE HIGHWAY ENGINEER’S DUTIES

• Knowledge of traffic engineering

• Highway design, construction and

maintenance

• Helps determine crash factors

• Analyze traffic patterns

• Lecture and train

• Write reports

HOW DOES THE TEAM PICK A

CRASH?

• Not random

• Any number of variables

– Alcohol

– Age

– Safety belt usage

– Mechanical or highway

defects

PLANNING THE INVESTIGATION

• Data collection at the crash site before

travel

• Gather and review data already collected

to know what data is needed

• Travel to the crash scene soon after the

crash

REPORTS

• CRASH

INVESTIGATION

REPORT

• TECHNICAL

REPORT

• SPECIAL REPORT

WHAT WILL WE DO WITH THE

REPORTS?

• TAKE POSSIBLE CHANGES TO LEGISLATURE TO

THE GOVERNOR

• CONTACT VDOT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE

ROADWAY/HIGHWAY

• EDUCATION IN DIFFERENT AREAS- VISIT SCHOOLS,

COMMUNITY CENTERS- SAFETY BELT USAGE,

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND PHONE USAGE

• COLLABORATE WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT

TO CREATE CHANGE

INVESTIGATE, EDUCATE, AND

PREVENT (IEP)

The goal of the VMCIT is INVESTIGATION,

EDUCATION AND PREVENTION.

……….SAVING LIVES…………

*A CASE TO REMEMBER*

• ATTEMPTED HOMICIDE AND

SUICIDE/HOMICIDE

• THREE VEHICLES INVOLVED:

VEHICLE #1 TOYOTA CAMRY

VEHICLE #2 DODGE MINIVAN

VEHICLE #3 CHEVROLET PICK-UP

TRUCK

CRASH INVESTIGATION

INVESTIGATION

• ROAD WAS CONCRETE AND ALSO WET- IT WAS NO

LONGER RAINING

• ROAD WAS LIT

• TWO LANES ON THE EAST-BOUND SIDE, JERSEY

WALL AND TWO LANES THE WEST-BOUND SIDE

• NO PRE CRASH TIRE MARKS, SCRAPES, OR

GOUGES LOCATED

• LITTLE, IF ANY, BRAKING BEFORE THE COLLISION

THE STORY

• Vehicle #1 Toyota

Camry – driven by

male occupant with

female occupant as

passenger

• Husband and wife

WITNESS STATEMENTS

WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY,

HOW????

INTERVIEW WITH FIRST

SERGEANT JOSEPH ZYRA- VSP

VEHICLE #1- TOYOTA CAMRY

VEHICLE #1- TOYOTA CAMRY

VEHICLE #1 TOYOTA CAMRY

VEHICLE #1-TOYOTA CAMRY

VEHICLE #2- DODGE MINIVAN

VEHICLE #2- DODGE MINIVAN

INTERVIEW WITH VEHICLE #2 DODGE

MINIVAN DRIVER

VEHICLE #3 CHEVROLET PICK-UP

TRUCK

VEHICLE #3 CHEVROLET PICK-UP

TRUCK

VEHICLE #3 CHEVROLET PICK-UP

TRUCK

VEHICLE #3 CHEVROLET PICK-UP

TRUCK

VEHICLE #3 CHEVROLET PICK-UP

TRUCK

VEHICLE #3 CHEVROLET PICK-UP

TRUCK

THE SUICIDE LETTER

• “SINCERELY SORRY FOR THE WAY THIS HAS

ENDED AND ANY TROUBLE OR EMOTIONAL PAIN

THIS WILL CAUSE ANYONE.”

• “I AM 100% SANE WHEM WRITING THIS, THOUGH

SOMEWHAT BROKEN HEARTED AND SAD”

• “SINNER

• UNPLANNED PREGNANCY AND FORCED

ABORTION”

• “FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS”

THE SUICIDE LETTER

• “I-PHONE MESSAGES”

• “SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR IN OUR JEEP BEFORE

WHEN I THREATENED TO KILL US BOTH.”

• “TODAY HAS MORE TO DO WITH OUR LOVE FOR

EACH OTHER THAN IT HAS TO DO WITH ME BEING

JEALOUS OR SELFISH….”

• “PLEASE MAKE SURE MY WIFE WEARS THE

CLOTHES I SPECIFIED AND THAT WE ARE BOTH

WEARING OUR WEDDING RINGS”

THE SUICIDE LETTER

• “I GUESS IT’S LIKE ROMEO AND JULIET,

SAMSON AND DELIAH AND NOW IT’S…..US.”

• “WE BOTH DID THINGS TO EACHOTHER

THAT WE WILL ALWAYS REGRET”

• “SIMPLE AS THAT AND LIKE THE SONG

SAYS….THINGS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME

AGAIN.”

HUMAN FACTORS

• PLANNED 10 PAGE LETTER

• FINANCIAL INSTABILITY

• GUILTY ABOUT AN ABORTION HE MADE HIS WIFE

HAVE

• JEALOUS ABOUT WIFE’S AFFAIR

• THE NEED TO BE IN CONTROL AND IN TURN- FELT-

OUT OF CONTROL

• CONTROL EVEN AFTER DEATH

• ATTEMPTED THIS BEFORE (PER HIS SUICIDE

LETTER)

MORE HUMAN FACTORS

• NIGHT DRIVING

• WET ROAD

• VEHICLE SPEED

• MENTAL CAPACITY OF THE DRIVER OF

VEHICLE #1 TOYOTA CAMRY

• OCCUPANT KINEMATICS

• TYPE OF CRASH

• LOCATION OF THE CRASH

• AGE OF THE DRIVERS

PERCEPTION-RESPONSE TIME

(PRT)

• includes from first

visibility (point of

possible perception)

• to first vehicle

response (i.e., skid

marks, braking,

turning, etc.)

PRT

Phases of driver response time

▲__________________PERCEPTION- RESPONSE TIME ___________▲

Detect Perception-

Reaction

Limb

Movement

Vehicle

Latency

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

PERCEPTION–REACTION TIME

• Time from first perception of

an immediate hazard until

first human reaction (foot off

brake, NOT signs of braking)

PERCEPTION-RESPONSE TIME

• Time from first

perception of an

immediate hazard that

requires an emergency

response until first

vehicle response

(braking, skid marks,

vehicle turning)

TAKE PERCAUTIONS

» WEAR A SEATBELT

» USE CHILD SAFETY SEATS

» WEAR REFLECTIVE CLOTHING

» TURN THE AIRBAG ON

» SILENCE YOUR PHONE/HANDS FREE

» KEEP THE RADIO/MUSIC LOW

» KNOW WHEN TO MOVE OVER

THE VIRGINIA MULTIDISCIPLINARY

CRASH INVESTIGATION TEAM (VMCIT)

INVESTIGATIONEDUCATIONPREVENTION

THANK YOU!

VMCIT