Fundamentals of At-Scene Crash Investigation

Date: Monday, February 23, 2026 | 08:30 AM to Friday, February 27, 2026 | 04:30 PM

New Jersey Statewide Comprehensive Traffic Safety Program at Kean University

Fundamentals of At-Scene Crash Investigation

Course Length

One Week (40 Hours)

Intended Audience

This is an entry-level crash investigation course for sworn law enforcement officers responsible for responding to, documenting, and investigating motor-vehicle crashes at the scene.

Students are required to bring a calculator that, at a minimum, can perform square and square root calculations. It would be beneficial for the student to obtain a scientific calculator if they intend to further their education in crash investigation.

Course Description

This new one-week course is replacing the two-week Basic Crash Investigation course. The new course provides law enforcement officers with foundational knowledge and practical skills necessary to properly recognize, document, measure, and interpret traffic crash scenes. Emphasis is placed on crash dynamics, human factors, roadway- and vehicle-based evidence, basic crash-mathematical concepts, and legally defensible investigative practices. The course integrates classroom instruction with hands-on field exercises to reinforce accurate data collection and documentation techniques required for effective at-scene crash investigation.

This training is designed to assist officers in developing the technical skills necessary to recognize, record, document, and, when appropriate, collect evidence encountered during the investigation of serious injury or fatal motor vehicle crashes. The information and evidence documented during this course are intended to be preserved and later transferred to investigators with advanced training for further scientific analysis.

It has long been understood that the success of any collision reconstruction depends mainly on the quantity and quality of roadway, vehicle, electronic, and human-related evidence present in a given crash. Reconstruction becomes increasingly complex—and in some cases impossible—when critical evidence is altered, destroyed, lost, or improperly documented. Upon successful completion of this course, officers will possess the skills necessary to conduct more thorough, methodical, and professional crash investigations.

While the techniques taught in this class may not be required for every crash (e.g., minor property-damage collisions), they are especially valuable in cases involving bodily injury or in evolving investigations in which criminal statutes may later be implicated. Societal, departmental, and personal benefits are realized when officers are appropriately trained to recognize and preserve crash evidence, and they develop greater proficiency and efficiency by regularly applying these principles during routine crash response.