Police Responsibilities In Highway Scene Management

Determining the scope and magnitude of the crash Minor Fender Benders Crash Involving injuries Hazmat crash Extensive damage (vehicles cannot be moved) How many lanes blocked? Entire roadway closed? Volume of traffic (rush hour, late night crashes) Fatality crashes

Minor Fender Benders Crashes with no injuries Crashes with minimal damage Crashes where vehicles are able to be moved off the roadway and onto shoulder Crashes that occur prior to or during rush hour that have a heavy effect on traffic.

Responsibilities at Minor Crash Scenes If lanes are open, utilize IMAP or additional officers to move traffic around crash If vehicles are drivable, have motorists move vehicles off roadway and onto shoulder Contact tow companies for vehicles needing towing Gather information for crash report Clear Scene- traffic will be affected as long as blue lights are on shoulder of roadway

Major Crashes Types of major crashes: – Serious injury or death – HAZMAT – Extensive damage – All-lane closures

Crashes involving injuries Officers will need to determine if the crash involves injuries If injuries are involved Start EMS How serious are the injuries? Are possible charges involved?

HAZMAT Crash Is the crash involving a vehicle that is transporting hazardous materials? Is there a spill or a leak? Determine what the HAZMAT is: Paperwork Driver Placards Determine a safe distance to shutdown roadway depending on type of spill. Be aware of wind direction

Extensive Damage Crashes If vehicles have extensive damage and cannot be removed from roadway, officers will start a tow company as soon as possible. Make sure traffic is safely controlled to allow fire, EMS, and towing access to the crash scene. Make sure that any fluids/spills from vehicles are treated with oil dry or similar before opening roadway.

Structural and/or other property damage – Guardrail damage – Signage – Guidewires/Median cables – Bridges – Jersey barriers

Responsibilities - Major Crash Scene/Hazmat Officers will: – Develop a unified command with all agencies responding – Direct traffic around incident scene – Reroute traffic if necessary – Ensure Fire and EMS have direct access to scene – Hazmat Situation: Always Approach With CAUTION Ensure scene is blocked at appropriate distances Ensure access to contaminated area is clear

–Gather all information for crash report –Ensure communications is contacted to start all pertinent agencies –Contact NCDOT communications center about posting road closure information on electronic signs –Get vehicles towed as quickly as possible –Open roadway

Lane(s) closed/ Roadway shutdown Officers will determine if a lane or lanes can be used to allow traffic to continue flow around crash scene. Can the shoulder be used?

Lane(s) closed/ Roadway shutdown Crash takes up entire roadway: – Call for IMAP/NCDOT or additional officers to shut roadway down – Develop a plan to divert traffic and contact all pertinent parties that can disseminate the information

Time of Day crash occurs Rush hour/Light traffic Rush Hour crashes – Open lanes as soon as possible – Contact pertinent parties to get the information out to media outlets as soon as practical – These crashes potentially have the biggest impact – Secondary incidents

Time of Day that crash occurs Non-rush hour crashes/Light Traffic – These crashes can cause a back up in a matter of minutes, so officers still need to move vehicles as quickly as possible.

Fatality Crashes When a fatality is involved, Officers should be aware of the importance of scene security and management Evidence is essential in fatality cases Entire roadways are usually shutdown to allow reconstruction unit to process the scene

Fatality Crashes Officers will turn scene over to investigating officer, who will be responsible for removal of vehicles, opening travel lanes and for making appropriate charges.

Communication Once the first officer arrives and determines the scope/magnitude of the crash, communication is essential. The officer will need to contact his/her communications and provide them with the information needed to assist in handling the crash scene.

There are numerous agencies/resources that can assist officers at crash scenes

Resources that can be contacted to respond if needed EMS Fire Department Hazmat Teams Additional Officers IMAP/NCDOT Towing companies Traffic Reconstruction Units

Summary Quick Clearance G.S is the law.