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Forensic Recovery - Preserving Evidence in a Motor Vehicle Accident

Forensic Recovery – Preserving Evidence in a Motor Vehicle Accident

Forensic recovery is a vital part of the investigative process following a motor vehicle accident. Forensic towing and recovery providers are able to preserve evidence that may be essential to understanding how the accident occurred and who may be responsible.

These professionals are specially trained in the proper methods for securing and transporting vehicles involved in accidents. They understand the importance of preserving evidence. Great care must be taken to protect the integrity of the vehicles they tow. In many cases, the vehicles towed by forensic towing and recovery providers are considered potential crime scenes. As such, these providers must follow strict protocols to ensure that all evidence is preserved.

Situations where forensic recovery may be necessary include:

  • Vehicle breakdowns
  • Vehicle collisions involving other vehicles, fixed objects, pedestrians, or animals
  • Single vehicle accident involving off-road recovery
  • Load shift of large commercial cargo, resulting in it the partial or complete obstruction of the roadway

Whatever the reason forensic towing and recovery is required, there are three steps that must be followed to complete the process without altering the evidence.

auto accident forensics

1. Accident Site Safety

Forensic teams must work quickly to ensure that critical evidence is preserved. However, the site must first be secured for the safety of all those involved This means making sure that the vehicles involved are not in danger of causing further accidents and that the scene is safe for investigators to work in. Accurate Towing Service works closely with law enforcement to make sure the accident site is safe for all those involved in the recovery as well as for drivers attempting to navigate beyond the accident. This involves setting up flares, cones, and any necessary barricades. There must be a flagger to safely stop or redirect traffic and all onsite operators must be wearing high visibility clothing. 

2. Removal & Recovery

Towing services specializing in forensic recovery often aid first responders and law enforcement to stabilize the accident scene to prevent further damage, personal injury, or the destruction of evidence. They typically have specialized equipment such as a Speedcrane to help accomplish this. 

The Speedcrane is a flatbed tow truck that can vertically lift a vehicle from its current position and rotate it into the proper position for loading. This allows it to be removed from the accident scene without the vehicle being entered, touched, or dragged.  The Speedcrane or any other equipment used to remove the vehicle must be attached to an area of the vehicle that is structurally sound to prevent further damage or personal injury. The possibility of movement of the vehicle during recovery should be assessed, anticipated, and prepared for. 

3. Safe Storage

The final step In the forensic recovery of a vehicle involved in a crash is to store it in a manner to preserve any evidence needed to determine the cause of the crash and who was at fault if anyone. The vehicle must be stored in a secure location and be “crash wrapped” with collision film. When properly wrapped, the film can seal broken windows, non-functioning door jams, and damaged roofs to prevent moisture from creating rust, deterioration, and mildew which could compromise any existing evidence.

Forensic Recovery by Accurate Towing Service

Before the evidence can be examined, tow truck operators have to remove the vehicle from the accident scene. This must be done in a way that preserves evidence. A towing company with the experience and equipment to accomplish this delicate and often hazardous task is essential in determining the cause of the accident or if the vehicle was involved in a crime. Either way, they are the first step of forensic recovery. 

towing and recovery

Accurate Towing Services has the equipment and experience necessary to carefully and properly handle all of your roadside towing and forensic recovery services. We have been providing reliable and affordable service for over 30 years. Contact us today for more information about complete towing services.