Traffic Homicide Investigator
Encyclopedia
A Traffic Homicide Investigator (THI) is a term used primarily in the United States of America for a police
employee, generally a sworn law enforcement officer, who is assigned to investigate fatalities
resulting from motor vehicle
collisions
.
In addition, investigators will conduct interviews with drivers and witnesses to assist in building up an overall picture of what led to the crash.
, specialised collision investigators working as part of the local police force's
traffic unit will usually handle collisions that result in death or serious injury. They receive training equivalent to THIs in the USA and conduct their investigations with similar methodology.
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
employee, generally a sworn law enforcement officer, who is assigned to investigate fatalities
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
resulting from motor vehicle
Motor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
collisions
Car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
.
Overview
Traffic Homicide Investigators have special training that goes beyond standard accident investigation and equips them to conduct an investigation of the site of a serious or fatal collision and to treat it as a crime scene. They are usually a traffic officer who has investigated a great number of nonfatal crashes and have advanced towards more in-depth crash investigation. Although they may not be the first responder to a traffic-related fatality, they will be called upon to take over the investigation at an early stage and see it through to its conclusion.Method
Traffic Homicide Investigators are "part physicist, part policeman and part victim's advocate". They carefully document the scene of a crash, ideally in a manner thorough enough to allow specially trained officers to reconstruct the scene at a later time, after the roadway has been reopened. This includes documenting the precise details of the roadway on which the fatality occurred; the state of any vehicles involved, including the use of safety features; the condition, legal status and attitude of the operator or operators of any vehicles, and any other local factors such as the weather and the presence or absence of appropriate road signage.In addition, investigators will conduct interviews with drivers and witnesses to assist in building up an overall picture of what led to the crash.
United Kingdom
In the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, specialised collision investigators working as part of the local police force's
Policing in the United Kingdom
Law enforcement in the United Kingdom is organised separately in each of the legal systems of the United Kingdom: England & Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland ....
traffic unit will usually handle collisions that result in death or serious injury. They receive training equivalent to THIs in the USA and conduct their investigations with similar methodology.