Lexington Fatal Crashes Under Heavy Review

Criminal charges, if any, stemming from two recent fatal Lexington  crashes may takes weeks or even months, S.C. Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Billy Elder tells Patch.

The separate wrecks, which , a 37-year-old father of three from Lexington, and 37-year-old motorcyclist David O. Perry, also of Lexington, are being carefully reviewed and analyzed by the SCHP's Multi-disciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT). 

Elder said MAIT must look at numerous variables and all available evidence before a decision on any charges can be made.

"Things must be checked, and re-checked, and then checked again, especially with a fatality involved," says Elder.

In addition to conducting an in-depth reconstruction and analysis of the crashes, the results must then go a committee which reviews all the detailed information.

"It goes through several layers of review," Elder says. "A committee meets on each investigation. They double-check everything. Check the math, check all the angles, and so forth. It's a very intensive process that can take weeks, even months."

MAIT consists of three teams of highly trained state troopers who have specific skills in accident reconstruction, traffic engineering and automotive engineering.  

MAIT is a specialized unit within the S.C. Highway Patrol. According to the S.C. Department of Public Safety, MAIT does not investigate all accidents, but will generally be called to investigate the following types of collisions or incidents:

• Prosecutable collisions where multiple fatalities occur.
• Prosecutable felony driving under the influence collisions with death or great bodily injury.
• Fatalities involving commercial vehicles where mechanical failure is suspected or any collision where a manufacturer defect of a vehicle is a possible contributor.
• A collision with multiple fatalities involving hazardous materials or a collision involving spillage or leakage of a significant amount of hazardous material that threatens life or property.
• Any fatal collision investigated by Department of Public Safety (DPS) involving a law enforcement officer.
• A collision involving a fatality or great bodily injury where a contributing factor may be a possible road defect.
• Hit-and-run fatalities.
• Collisions investigated by DPS involving a pursuit resulting in injury or death.

The investigations can include in-depth speed analysis, mechanical inspection, complicated or scale diagramming, physical evidence collection, occupant kinematics, extensive witness interviewing or consultation, and much more. 

The Department of Public Safety and the Highway Patrol established MAIT in 1995 to not only assess blame in accidents, but ultimately to determine the subtle contributory and injury causes in wrecks and, in turn, use these factors to prevent collisions of a similar nature in the future.

A sample MAIT report can be seen here.