HIT-AND-RUN ACCIDENT

INVESTIGATION/
SKID MARKS: AS A TOOL
IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
INVESTIGATIONS
PRESENTERS:

ROSARIA, NHEL
SACUEZA, MICHELL
SAPUNGAN, KARYLL ANNE
Accident defined.
• an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance

• lack of intention or necessity

• an unfortunate event resulting especially from

carelessness or ignorance
Accident (legal meaning)
an accident is any happening beyond the control of a person the
consequences of which are not foreseeable. There is no criminal
liability in accident provided, the following requisites or elements
under the law must be satisfied;
1. performance of a lawful act
2. with due care
3. causes injury to another by mere accident
4. without any fault or intention of causing it
1 HIT-AND-RUN
ACCIDENTS
Hit-and-Run, defined.
is the act of causing (or contributing to) a
traffic accident (such as colliding with a
person or a fixture), and failing to stop and
identify oneself afterwards. It is considered a
crime in most jurisdictions.
Hit-and-Run Investigation
The search for physical evidence at the scene of a
hit-and-run accident must be done properly and
quickly because it is not possible to close-off and
guard the scene of this kind of crime. The roads
must be cleared to permit ordinary flow of traffic as
soon as possible.
Hit-and-Run Investigation
Another problem is that passing vehicles
will crush of blow away important pieces of
small physical evidence.  The following are the
good ways of searching the scene of a hit-and-
run accident: 
Good ways of Searching the
Scene of a Hit-and-Run
Accident: 
1. Look over the ground at what seems to be
the point of collision.
2. Follow the path that the vehicle took in
leaving the scene to find out if it left tire prints
in the soft dirt, or where parts of the vehicle
or broken glass fell off as is drove away.
Good ways of Searching the
Scene of a Hit-and-Run
Accident: 
3. Study the objects the vehicle has
struck to see if there is a transfer of
physical evidence like paint.
4. Look for things that may have
spilled from the vehicle
Hit-and-Run Investigation
The investigator should collect all materials found at the
scene of the crime which cannot be satisfactorily explained.
Broken parts of the motor vehicle are the most important
physical evidence in hit-and-run accidents. When the broken
parts match parts still on the car, this is a good positive
identification. Broke parts are more important than damaged
parts. Part of a broken bumper of door handle is better than
a damaged hubcap.
Hit-and-Run Investigation
This applies to drivers who failed to stop at a road
accident.
WHAT ARE THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE
FOUND IN HIT-AND-RUN TRAFFIC
ACCIDENTS/DEATHS?
PHYSICAL EVIDENCE IN HIT-AND-RUN TRAFFIC
DEATHS (JOHN F. WILLIAMS)
Physical evidence includes anything of a physical
nature (that which can be seen, felt, etc.) which will
furnish information about a matter under investigation.
In most cases we think of physical evidence as those
things which we can transport bodily (or through
photographs, casts, etc.) to the court room and use to
demonstrate to the jury the facts in the case.
 PHYSICAL EVIDENCE IN HIT-AND-RUN TRAFFIC
DEATHS (JOHN F. WILLIAMS)
He is the grandfather of modern
scientific criminal investigation, said
"Circumstances cannot lie; witnesses
can and do." Physical evidence cannot
change its story or forget, neither can it
be influenced by the opinion of others
as the story is told and retold.
Hans Gross
 PHYSICAL EVIDENCE IN HIT-AND-RUN TRAFFIC
DEATHS (JOHN F. WILLIAMS)

Specimen 1 from scene and

specimen 2 from suspect's car.
Matching fracture line and polish
marks from metal surface of
fender establish identification.

Figure 1: Paint chip identification

 PHYSICAL EVIDENCE IN HIT-AND-RUN TRAFFIC
DEATHS (JOHN F. WILLIAMS)

Part of wheel disc clip from car

(with hole) and part from
scene of accident. The match is
obvious.

Figure 2
Broken parts of vehicle
PHYSICAL EVIDENCE IN HIT-AND-RUN TRAFFIC
DEATHS (JOHN F. WILLIAMS)
Physical evidence may play an important
part in any investigation and more often than
not valuable information is obtained through
careful examination of this type of material.
Never overlook this important phase of the
investigation.
 PHYSICAL EVIDENCE IN HIT-AND-RUN TRAFFIC
DEATHS (JOHN F. WILLIAMS)
In many hit-and-run cases there are no
eyewitnesses and the victim is past talking, so
physical evidence becomes all important, and
the solution of the crime depends on the
recognition, protection, collection, identification,
and evaluation of this material.
 PHYSICAL EVIDENCE IN HIT-AND-RUN TRAFFIC
DEATHS (JOHN F. WILLIAMS)
Methods of handling will also be mentioned since it is
important that the evidence collected be admissible as evidence
in court. Often the materials will need little or no further
examination to establish their connection with the investigation.
Large parts of fenders, accessories, pieces of garments, etc., can
sometimes be matched with the naked eye, or with ordinary
photographs, when it is not practical to take the entire car into
court.
 PHYSICAL EVIDENCE IN HIT-AND-RUN TRAFFIC
DEATHS (JOHN F. WILLIAMS)

Parallel marks on shirt sleeve

match the coil spring around the
shock absorber on the suspect's
car.

Figure 3
 PHYSICAL EVIDENCE IN HIT-AND-RUN TRAFFIC
DEATHS (JOHN F. WILLIAMS)

The coil spring around the shock

absorber which made marks
upon the victims shirt as shown
in Figure 3.

Figure 4
 PRESERVATION
Before anything is moved (except the body if there is any
chance of saving a life) photographs should be taken. Several
photographs from different angles and directions are necessary
along with notes, measurements, and sketches to orient the
photographs properly and indicate dimensions. Take your publicity
photographs separately, and you will not have to worry about your
photographs being inadmissible in court. This is the first step in
preserving the evidence and is quite important.
 COLLECTION AND MARKING FOR IDENTIFICATION

Now the evidence must be collected, identified by the

officer(s) collecting it, and prepared for transportation to the
laboratory, headquarters, the prosecutor's office, or court
room. All evidence must be collected as soon after it is
discovered as possible since if there is any time during which
the evidence is not in the possession of someone who can be in
court to testify, the court may exclude it.
 PACKAGING
Proper packaging is as important as collecting. If improperly packed,
specimens may become lost by sifting out of a leaky container. This is
particularly true of dust, small paint chips, small hairs of fibers, and
similar material when put into envelopes. Always put material from
different parts of the scene or from different cars or bodies in separate
containers. Unknown or questioned specimens should always be packaged
separately from known materials. Even the various garments from a body,
for instance, should be wrapped separately. Tags, labels, marking crayons
will help in marking the various containers.
 TRANSPORTATION; STORAGE
Evidence in hit-and-run cases is subject to the same rules of
handling as is evidence in other types of cases. Care should be
taken to prevent damage or changes in the specimens; to
prevent mixing or intermingling of specimens and to keep a
record of all persons who have had the evidence in their
possession. When not in the possession of a particular person
specimens should be kept in suitable locked storerooms used
only for the storage of evidence.
 Physical evidence on hit-and-run accidents investigation

We have mentioned some of the materials which have been useful in

identifying hit-and-run cars. You may have seen similar cases and probably
others which we have not mentioned. If you will remember to consider
everything found at the scene, on the victim, or on the suspect's car as
potential physical evidence subject to identification or comparison with
other material found during the investigation, we will have accomplished
our mission with this paper. And do not forget to handle it as evidence so
that it may be admissible in court to substantiate other testimony.
What are the legal cases
to be filed?
Hit-and-Run Accident Investigation
Legal cases to be filed under hit-and-run accidents

 Abandonment of one’s victim

 Failure to lend assistance
 Reckless imprudence resulting to homicide
 Reckless imprudence resulting to damage to
property
Legal cases to be filed under hit-and-run accidents

 Failure to render assistance to victim

 Violation of section 55 of RA 4136
 Civil liability
What are the common
nature of hit-and-run?
Hit-and-Run Accident Investigation
Common nature of hit-and-run

 Ran over pedestrian

 Sideswiped pedestrian
 Collided with moving vehicle while overtaking
 Collided with moving vehicle while overtaking
on opposite direction
Common nature of hit-and-run

Damaged parked vehicle

Crushed police road block
Bumped by stray animal
How do they investigate for
unknown facts?
Hit-and-Run Accident Investigation
Investigating for unknown facts

● Victim’s identity
● Kind of vehicle
● The make of vehicle
● The driver
● The eyewitnesses
FAST TRACKED INVESTIGATION
● Send the corpse to laboratory after investigating
● Obtain fingerprint and other specimen and send it to laboratory
● Splintered glass can be a lead
● Broken headlamp manifest a run over
● Paints might stick at victim belonging
● Don’t forget to bring paper and pencil for initial note taking
 EXAMINATION OF RECOVERED VEHICLE

● Recover physical evidence immediately

● Measure the vehicle
● Photograph the vehicle, debris and chipped
off part
● Check the interior of the car for driver’s
identity
What are the documents to be
filed in case of death?
Hit-and-Run Accident Investigation
 Documents to be filed in case of death
● Referral slip
● Arrest report
● Traffic accident report (TAIC)
● Affidavit of parties involved
● Witness’ statement
● Photograph
What are the documents to be
filed in case of injury?
Hit-and-Run Accident Investigation
 Documents to be filed in case of injury
● Memorandum of preliminary investigation
● TAIC
● Estimated amount of damage, it is made by authorized
repair shop
● Affidavit of parties involved
● Witness’ statement
● Photograph
PROVING DRIVING
In all cases of traffic offense, intoxicated driving or hit-
and-run, the first and most important thing that must be
proved is that the accused person was driving the car at the
time of the offense. This can be done either by eye witnesses
or by physical evidence. But it must be proved. The
investigator must not assume that the owner of the vehicle
was the person actually driving it.
TECHNICAL PREPARATION
Delayed traffic accident data collection and organization for
study and interpretation. The data collected are essentially
factual. Technical preparation includes making additional
measurements and photographs, preparing maps and diagrams,
simple speed estimates, matching damage areas, and making
experiments to obtain specific data. It is third level of traffic
accident.
TRIANGULATION

A method of locating a spot in

the area by measurements from two
or more reference points, the location
of which are identical for future
reference. Compare with
coordinates.
What are the characteristics of hit-and-
run drivers?
 Characteristics of Hit-and Run Drivers

1. After living the scene, he dreads or

frighten of being caught.

2. He may have left the accident scene

because he was shocked, injured, or
intoxicated.
 Characteristics of Hit-and Run Drivers

3. He may have been too confused to

know he was doing.
4. He may have a long record of
violations or accidents and therefore a
terrible fear of getting further involve
with the law.
 Characteristics of Hit-and Run Drivers

5. More often, he fears financial loss

specially if he does not have liability
insurance.

6. Hit-and run drivers do not have a

establish method of operation unlike
criminals.
 SKID MARKS: AS A TOOL
2 IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
INVESTIGATION
Skid marks
are marks caused by
tires on roads which occur
when a vehicle wheel stops
rolling and slides or spins
on the surface of the road.
Skid marks
are marks left on the
road by tires that are not
moving because the brakes
are applied strongly
enough to lock the wheels.
Two kinds of Skid marks

1) Made by a car going

straight ahead

2) Made by a car going

sideways.
SKID MARKS are divided into:
1. acceleration marks are
created on acceleration if
the engine provides more
power that the tire can
transmit.
 SKID MARKS are divided into:

2. braking marks - if the

brakes "lock-up" and cause
the tire to slide.
SKID MARKS are divided into:
3. yaw marks - if the tire
slide sideways.
Importance of Skid Mark In Traffic
Accident Investigation

Skid marks can be analyzed to find

the maximum and minimum
vehicle speed prior to an impact or
incident.
Determining Speed from Skid Marks
One of the most common problems in accident
investigation is: “How fast was he going?” it is
difficult question to answer, but speeds in excess of
the legal limits are important to the police, because
they must decide if the driver did his best to avoid
accidents.
Calculation of Speed from Skid Marks
There are charts and tables and even special measuring
devices from which the speed can be calculated from the
skid mark. The criminalistic investigator, however, should
understand the exact mathematical formula for which the
speed is calculated because he may be asked by the judge in
court to explain how he arrived at his estimate.
Calculation of Speed from Skid Marks
The formula is not difficult and the only hard part
is determining the square root. This can be easily done
by means of a set of tables or a slide rule, but in the
range of measurement with which the investigator is
concerned, there is a simple formula for determining
square root that is sufficiently accurate for the
purpose.
LET’S DO SOME MATH!

sadboi :((
Calculation of Speed from Skid Marks
The formula is not difficult and the only hard part
is determining the square root. This can be easily done
by means of a set of tables or a slide rule, but in the
range of measurement with which the investigator is
concerned, there is a simple formula for determining
square root that is sufficiently accurate for the
purpose.
Calculation of Speed from Skid Marks
Find the nearest number to your measurement which has an
even square. Example: 4, 9, 25, 36, 64, 81, 100, etc. If the
number in your calculation is 30, for example, the closest
number is 25 which is only 5 numbers away rather than 36,
which is 6 numbers away. Since 5 X 5 equals 25, divide your
number by 5, then average the result by the divisor, and you
will get a square root sufficiently accurate for the purpose.
Calculation of Speed from Skid Marks
Formula:

S = 15.9 d X (F + g)
Calculation of Speed from Skid Marks
Where:

S = speed in kilometer per hour

d = slide-to-stop distance in meters
g = grade or slope
F = drag factor
Calculation of Speed from Skid Marks
Example:
A vehicle going downhill with a slope of 0.15 and a
drag factor of 0.70, leaves a skid marks of 20.6 meters.
What is the speed of the vehicle?
 Calculation of Speed from Skid Marks
1. SPEED = 15.9 20.6 X (0.70 - 0.15)

(The vehicle is going down hill, so the grade is negative and is

subtracted.)
 Calculation of Speed from Skid Marks
2. SPEED = 15.9 20.6 X 0.55

= 15.9 11.33
 Calculation of Speed from Skid Marks
The nearest whole number whose square is closest to 11.33 is 3 (3
X 3 = 9).

3. 11.33/3 = 3.78
4. 3.78 + 3 = 6.78/2 = 3.39
5. SPEED = 15.9 X 3.39 = 53.90 km/hr
Calculation of Speed from Skid Marks
All calculations are resolved in favor of the driver, so:

6. SPEED = 54 km/hr

Therefore, the speed of the vehicle going downhill is 54 km/hr.

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Thanks!
 “
Leave sooner, drive slower, live
longer.
Author unknown