What is a CRT?

A couple days ago I learned what a DWI Crash Response Team (CRT) is. This team is made up of specially trained officers who respond to serious injury or fatal DWI crashes. They diagram a crash scene using a Total Station. Their primary focus is to gather evidence and witness accounts so prosecuters can more accurately do their job. The team is made up of three people - two members operated the Total Station, or TS, while the third, the principal investigator folows up, verifies witness accounts and briefs the District Attorney's office. They are men and women who have seen the worst crash scenes and we need more of them.

On Friday, STOP DWI of Erie County held a briefing for area police to better understand what a CRT is and the necessity for more training. Some of the departments who currently have CRTs include West Seneca, Cheektowaga, Lancaster, Amherst, Erie County Sheriff's and the NY State Police. The Buffalo police department has the Total Station, but officers haven't yet been trained on how to use it. There are still several WNY police departments who need the training to get CRTs in their area.

Mike Summers is a member of the Erie County Sheriff's Crash Response Team. He said the key to this team is being able to investigate without shutting down major highways. How does the Total Station work? According to Summers, the computer system helps with the math equations so they can more accurately investigate - for example - the exact speed the car was traveling at the time of the crash. It also has a surveying tool that draws a center line, incorporates that into the computer and draws out the crash scene, the locations of the cars, and all the evidence.

Lynn Reda is an Assistant District Attorney and heads up the Vehicular Crimes Bureau. She spoke of one court case where the CRT team responded and the grand jury was so impressed by the testimony of the investigating officer that they applauded in court. Reda calls it a "wonderful tool" and says not only does it make the criminal case easiser, but it also makes a difference in the civil lawsuit as well. In many cases, the insurance companies are more likely to pay the family because these reports are so complicated and they don't want to spend the time it takes to go through all the details.

In the end, the people who benefit most from the Crash Response Team are the victims and victims' families. The CRT gives them more piece of mind that a thorough investigation was done and that everything that can be done is being done. A CRT did not investigate my sister's crash, and I'm sure that a more extensive report would have answered many of our questions that were left unanswered.

I applaud STOP DWI and local police departments for these efforts because it's things like CRTs that will help investigate and hopefully prevent future crashes.

Deanna