Collate evidence and draft preliminary findings for a serious injury collision

What is going on

A two vehicle collision at the Craigieburn exit of the Northern Freeway left one driver with serious injuries. The scene was photographed and measured, witnesses gave first accounts, both vehicles were inspected and one vehicle and a mobile phone were seized as exhibits. The crash investigation sergeant needs all the evidence collated and checked before the analyst begins the reconstruction. The exhibit register shows the phone in exhibit room B and the vehicle in the compound. One witness said the silver sedan changed lanes without indicating; another said the other vehicle was speeding. A warrant for the phone download is being prepared.

Your brief

Collate and check every item of evidence for the collision, confirm the exhibit entries are complete and continuous, record the collated evidence against the incident, and draft a preliminary findings summary that applies basic crash dynamics without overreaching the evidence.

Work through it

You do not need to do it all. Doing a few of these will show you what the work is like. Your ticks and notes stay on this device.

• Read the Roadside Intercept and Traffic Enforcement Procedure section on collision scenes and the Exhibit Handling and Continuity Procedure, and list the evidence types expected for a serious injury collision.
• Review incident record NG-26-04425 and the two exhibit entries, confirm the storage locations and continuity notes are complete, and record any gaps.
• Build an evidence schedule listing each photograph set, measurement, first account, inspection note and exhibit with its source, date and who holds it.
• Compare the two conflicting witness accounts against the physical evidence such as debris field, tyre marks and final rest positions, and record what the evidence supports.
• Apply basic crash dynamics to the measurements to describe the pre-impact movement of each vehicle in plain language, stating your assumptions.
• Draft a preliminary findings summary for the sergeant that separates established facts from matters still under investigation, and lists the outstanding actions including the phone warrant.
• Update the Incident Log record with the collated evidence schedule and the outstanding actions, and update the exhibit entries with any movements you have arranged.

What someone in this role would produce

• Evidence schedule
• Continuity check notes on the exhibit entries
• Preliminary findings summary
• Updated Incident Log and exhibit register entries