August 2015
Issue 14

"Summer time is in full swing!!! The time of year when sweaters and snow boots are traded for bathing suits and flip flops, grills everywhere are slow roasting delicious barbecue and the beach becomes your second home. Unfortunately, this is also one time of year when driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol is most prevalent. So the question becomes, how can we make conscientious choices about drinking, legal/prescription drug use and driving? The first step is being informed about what you are taking, how much and how it will affect you and any other substances you may have in your system. The second is trying to better understand what motivates people to drive while intoxicated or impaired so we can better protect ourselves. "  For more information Click Here

Kevin recently joined out team as a Crash Data Liaison. He began his career in CT Law Enforcement as a Special Conservation Officer with Connecticut DEEP, attended the POSTC Academy and became a certified Police Officer in 1993.   Kevin was hired by the Vernon Police Department in March 1994.  During his tenure with Vernon he held various patrol based positions from FTO, Traffic Officer, Special Enforcement Unit and Honor Guard.  He attended all three phases of IPTM's Crash Reconstruction School.  Kevin also attended numerous supplemental training courses concentrating on collision investigation and the physical components of crash investigation.  Kevin was also certified as a Commercial Motor Vehicle Inspector by the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles.  He was a Team Leader on the Metro Traffic Services Regional crash investigation squad that investigated numerous Fatal/Serious crashes in an ten city/town region in North Central Connecticut.  Kevin retired from the Vernon Police Department in 2012 and is currently working as a part time Police Officer in the Stafford Resident Trooper's Office.                                           

MOST COMMON FIELDS WITH WARNINGS:
Always enter a valid attribute in the first box of a data element with multiple choices.  Do not leave the first box blank or enter 88 or "Not  Applicable" for all fields for the following data elements:
  • Contributing Circumstances Environmental,
  • Contributing Circumstances Roadway,
  • Driver Actions,
  • Condition at time of crash
  • Weather condition
Example: Enter 01 for None, No Contributing Action, Normal or Clear for your first choice and 88 or "Not Applicable" for 2nd or 3rd choices as appropriate for the data fields above.

Contributing Circumstances Motor Vehicle: do not leave blank or enter as 88 or "Not Applicable" unless vehicle is parked, non-collision or unknown
Drug and Alcohol Test: For each driver of a vehicle, please report if they were tested for drugs or alcohol.  If they were not tested please indicate 88  or "Not Applicable" for test type.

When an operator evades a collision scene and then collides with another vehicle this should be classified as a second and distinct collision.  

CTSRC VIDEO


Click here to watch the latest episode of Crash Investigation Updates with Chuck Grasso.   In this episode, Chuck  discusses DUI crashes and how to get additional funding for high-visibility DUI enforcement campaigns. The second half of this video gives you step-by-step instructions on how to use the CT Crash Data Repository to fill out your Comprehensive DUI Grant Application.


Upcoming Events
This fall we will be hosting a training session for certification as a MMUCC PR-1 Trainer.

To request information for a session, or if your department wishes to host a training session, please email  Chuck Grasso.


Quick Links


Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding this newsletter, the new MMUCC PR-1 or would like training assistance please contact:

Chuck Grasso
860-753-1240

Kevin Slater
860-930-2967


DATA UPDATE

The Connecticut Crash Data Repository has been updated to include all collision data collected from 1995 through 2014.  This data is now available to assist with grant applications.

Data can be obtained by