In a criminal crash investigation you should

• A. Treat the scene as any other crime scene; tape it off and use crime scene log
• B. Ignore the scene until daylight
• C. Move vehicles to clear the road
• D. Photograph only exterior damage

Answer: (A)

Preserving evidence and maintaining scene integrity is essential in a criminal crash investigation. Treat the scene like a crime scene: secure it with tape, establish a clear perimeter, and document every access and action with a detailed crime-scene log. This ensures evidence such as skid marks, vehicle positions, interior vehicle condition, and witness statements remain uncontaminated and properly linked to the investigation for later analysis. Ignoring the scene until daylight could let crucial clues vanish; moving vehicles can destroy or alter evidence; photographing only exterior damage misses important details inside the cars and around the scene needed to reconstruct what happened.