Hit-and-run vehicle offenses and forensics

DEFINITION: Situations in which the operators of motor vehicles cause damage to other people or property and then flee the scene.

SIGNIFICANCE: Hit-and-run vehicle offenses encompass a wide variety of situations, from incidents in which only minor damage occurs to cases involving serious injuries or deaths. What all hit-and-run offenses have in common is that the operators of the vehicles that caused the damage flee the scene. Law-enforcement investigators must thus determine not only what happened at these scenes but also the identities of the vehicles and their operators responsible for the damage.

Hit-and-run vehicle offenses are extremely serious. Leaving the scene of an accident is punishable by law, even if the accident is only minor. Fleeing the scene of an accident that involves injury to another party is an even more serious offense. In many US states, it is a felony for any driver involved in a motor vehicle accident in which injuries occurred to leave the scene before law-enforcement authorities arrive. Investigations of hit-and-run offenses are often complicated by the fact that police need to determine not only which vehicle caused the damage, but also which individual was driving the vehicle at that time. Investigators also need to determine whether a hit-and-run incident was in fact an accident or if the responsible driver had malicious intent.

The Crime Scene

When investigators are called to the scene of a hit-and-run incident, the first thing they must do is secure the area. Much of the evidence that can be gathered from the scene of a vehicle accident is fragile and can be easily disturbed. Investigators use a variety of different methods to record the evidence the scene provides. The placement of vehicles and injured individuals may be marked with chalk, outlined, sketched, or photographed. Distances are measured so that forensic scientists can make determinations regarding the speeds and traveling directions of the vehicles involved. Witnesses are sought out and interviewed.

The purpose of investigating the scene of a hit-and-run incident is to determine what occurred during the incident, to collect information about any factors that were likely involved in causing it (such as possible driver distractions or bad road conditions), and to gather clues to the identities of the responsible vehicle and its driver. Evidence at the scene, such as skid marks and tire tread marks, can help investigators determine whether the driver of the responsible vehicle braked before impact and tried to take evasive action, maintained speed, or even sped up. This kind of information can be important, as it may indicate whether the damage was caused on purpose.

Identifying the Vehicle and Driver

The major challenge in the investigation of a hit-and-run incident is identifying the vehicle involved and its driver. Investigators at the scene not only collect evidence present at the scene but also alert other members of law enforcement in the area to look out for any vehicles with damage that could have been caused by the incident. Investigators may also call automotive body shops and insurance companies to find out if repairs have been done or claims have been filed on any vehicles matching the description of the one believed to be involved. After a significant collision, investigators may even call area hospitals and clinics to see if anyone has received treatment for injuries similar to those believed to have been caused by the accident.

Investigations have leveraged the advantages of automated license plate readers (ALPR), traffic cameras, and AI-driven scene analysis for rapid vehicle tracking. Accident-assist apps automatically capture GPS (global positioning system), photos, and sensor data at crash moments, aiding forensic preservation.

Investigators use the information collected at the scene to determine the make and model of the vehicle involved and to identify the driver. They question witnesses to try to gain information about the sex, hair color, age, and other attributes of the driver and any passengers, as well as information about the vehicle. Physical evidence gathered at the scene—such as paint chipped or scraped off the vehicle, leaked fluids, tire markings, and broken glass from headlights, turn signals, or windows—is also examined in the effort to identify the vehicle involved. Even very small amounts of paint left on an object after a collision can help investigators determine the color of the vehicle involved, and by comparing the chemical properties of the paint against extensive databases of information on the paints used by different vehicle manufacturers, forensic scientists can help narrow the search further. Forensic paint analysis employs techniques like inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to match paint layers to specific vehicle makes, models, and manufacturing years through databases like the Paint Data Query (PDQ) that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Forensic Laboratory Services maintains.

After investigators have found the particular vehicle involved in a hit-and-run incident, they must determine who was driving the vehicle and whether that person caused the injury or property damage accidentally or deliberately. Although in many cases the identity of the driver may be straightforward—such as when no one but the owner of the vehicle ever drives it—in other cases this issue can become complicated. The owner of the vehicle may claim that it had been stolen, for example, or that it had been borrowed by a friend or relative. In such cases, investigators must use the evidence gathered from eyewitnesses combined with other traditional investigative techniques, such as checking alibis, to determine the identity of the driver.

After both the vehicle and the driver have been identified, the question of intent remains. If the crime scene reveals evidence, such as skid marks, indicating hard braking and evasive action, the event may be ruled an accident. When no such evidence exists, however, the matter of the driver’s intent may be much less clear. The driver may claim to have been distracted and not noticing the person who was hit or the property that was damaged in time to take evasive action. In such a case, investigators must research any possible motives the driver may have had to harm the victim, connections between the victim and the driver, and other information to arrive at the truth.

Another potential source of evidence that modern investigators can use to learn more about the details of a hit-and-run is the data found within driving insurance applications (DIAs). DIAs are mobile phone applications offered by an increasing number of insurance companies. These apps monitor and record data on driving behaviors and patterns. By accessing this data, investigators can gain valuable insight into the details surrounding a hit-and-run incident, such as the rate of speed at which the driver was traveling and more.

Other key evidence sources include vehicle event data recorders (EDRs). Investigators access cloud-stored server data for precise forensic reconstruction of speed, braking, location, and events during hit-and-runs, even overcoming GPS spoofing or device resets.

Bibliography

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