Critical Crash Response
Under Action Item A5: Critical Crash Reviews, the Vision Zero Action Plan states that the Vision Zero will review and evaluate critical crashes (those that result in a severe or fatal injury) to identify actions for quick response. Arlington police, state police, transportation engineers/planners, public health representatives, and a County manager representative participate in a quarterly, interdisciplinary review of all critical crashes (more immediate reviews occur for fatal crashes). The reviews result in subsequent action items (engineering, education, or enforcement based), which are tracked in Vision Zero mid-year and annual reports.
When there is a critical (severe or fatal injury) crash, EMS and police immediately respond to the scene. Following the crash, there is an active investigation. During the investigation period, police interview witnesses, collect evidence, and make next of kin family notifications. Transportation engineers conduct preliminary reviews of the site location to identify potential safety issues and improvements. It is important that all facts are confirmed to ensure the County's response adequately addresses all present and potential safety issues. Once the active investigation closes, police finalize the crash report/charges, the interdisciplinary team finalizes next steps, and action occurs as soon as possible. The following flow chart illustrates this critical crash response process.
