The Investigation of Fatal Pedestrian Hit
The Investigation of Fatal Pedestrian
Hit-and-Run Collisions
by Joseph N. Cofone
This article serves as a practical guide to investigating
pedestrian hit-and-run collisions. Mr. Cofone begins by giving practical reasons
for the importance of securing and controlling the scene of a crash from the
earliest possible moment. He also addresses the types of evidence to expect on
the roadway, how to collect and preserve it and what the evidence can mean to
the investigation.
As the article continues, he explains how an autopsy of
the victim can aid in determining the cause of the collision and how a forensic
examination of the victim’s clothing can be instrumental in revealing a
description of the striking vehicle. And once a determination has been made as
to the type of vehicle that was involved, the author outlines eleven methods
that can be employed to search for that vehicle.
The Investigation of Fatal Pedestrian Hit-and-Run
Collisions is not intended as a manual for
reconstructing a crash. Rather, it addresses specific differences and special
considerations that must be given to hit-and-run collisions that involve
pedestrians. It also provides information on post-arrest vehicle examination and
the legal considerations that should be met prior to a physical examination of
the suspected vehicle.
The manual includes the following topics:
- The At-Scene Investigation
- Securing and Controlling the Scene
- Interviews
- Scene Search
- The Follow-up Investigation
- The Autopsy
- Forensic Examination
- Vehicle Searching Methods
- Radio Broadcasts
- Press Conferences
- Canvassing
- Surveillance
- Data Base Search
Joseph N. Cofone is a sergeant with the Fatal Accident
Investigation Unit at the Bergen County New Jersey Prosecutor’s Office. In
addition to the awards he has received in police traffic safety and crash
investigation and reconstruction, he is a founding member of the New Jersey
Association of Accident Reconstructionists.
Specifications: 24 pages; 8½”x11”; saddle stitched; Publisher: IPTM (1995)