New tech means shorter road closures

Police have always worked to keep traffic flowing smoothly after accidents, but officers have started using a new system called photogrammetry to re-open roads more quickly.

The laser technology generally used to take measurements at the crash scene takes two hours to get a thorough reading. This can be a problem because the congestion caused by closed roads or lanes can cause additional accidents.

"Stats tell us 20 percent of all crashes are due to secondary crashes, which means they are in backed up traffic," explained Indiana State Police crash reconstructionist Jim Cody.

Cody used photogrammetry to quickly reopen State Road 18 after Monday's deadly crash at the intersection of State Road 18 and Springboro Road.

How does photogrammetry work?

Black markers with reference numbers or letters are placed around the scene. Cody then takes pictures of the scene for 30 to 45 minutes and transfers those images to a computer.

"The software that comes along with this equipment package allows us to take those 2D photos, reference them with each other and create a 3D image of the scene," said Cody.

The scene can then be used in court, and the completed 3D scene offers several advantages over the many individual photos.

"For instance we can animate the crash and show the actual crash in 3D over and over to a jury, so they can feel like they were there and see actual vehicles coming together and how they came together," Cody said.

Officers can also verify witness accounts.

"If you have a witness that says they were at a certain area and saw the crash you can actually put yourself at that point and see what perspective they had on the crash," said Cody as he worked with the pictures.

The technology is being piloted in Indiana around the I-65 corridor.

The goal is to expand photogrammetry statewide and use it in every crash reconstruction.

Photogrammetry equipment is $7,000 less expensive than the laser equipment currently used. The system costs about $3,000.