Crash Reconstructionists

Members of the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office respond to close to 2000 motor vehicle crashes a year.  The crashes range in severity from minor property damage to severe injuries and fatalities.  All Deputy Sheriffs receive training at the West Virginia State Police Academy to learn how to investigate the basic traffic crash, but some members pursue additional training in accident investigation to become crash reconstructionists.

Members of the Crash Reconstructionist team spend weeks learning advanced accident investigation techniques and how to use specialized equipment to determine how a crash occurred, what led to its happening, and if any crimes occurred contributing to the crash.  Additional, specialized training makes some reconstructionists experts in crashes involving pedestrians or commercial vehicles.