The purpose of traffic crash investigation and reporting is to:

  • Protect the rights of citizens
  • Enhance safe driving practices
  • Eliminate or reduce the causes of crashes
  • Enforce laws relating to traffic movement and motor vehicle operation
     

An officer’s duties and responsibilities as they relate to traffic crashes are defined by City Ordinances, Minnesota Statutes, and Department procedures.

Definitions

Crash Investigations:

Collection of factual information identifying and describing people, roads, and vehicles involved; describing the results of the crash in terms of damage to vehicles and roadside objects, injuries to people, marks and residue on the road, and final positions of vehicles and bodies; interpretation of these facts in the terms of behavior of road users involved; and, sometimes, an attempt to specify the peculiar combination of factors required to produce that particular crash.

Traffic Crash Reporting:

Collection of basic data to identify and classify a traffic crash, persons, vehicles, time/location, planned movements involved, and possible contributing factors such as traffic law violations.

Procedures

Report writing procedures:

The Saint Paul Police Department Records Unit will generate an original RMS report for all crashes where an officer completes a MNCrash (state crash report) report, except for these three circumstances:

  • A fatality occurred
  • Someone is transported by ambulance from the scene (not just checked out at the scene and released)
  • An arrest is made

    In these specific circumstances, the officer will complete both a MN Crash (state crash report) report and an original RMS report. 

It is essential that officers complete the MNCrash report, when required as outlined below, and forward a printed copy of the report to the records unit for data entry into the RMS.  Officers must indicate in the narrative of the MNCrash report that “No Packet Writer report was completed.”  This will notify records that they need to create the RMS report.

If the officer needs to document additional information that is not captured on the MNCrash report, they will write a supplemental RMS report. 

Fatalities:

If the crash involves a fatality, the officer will write an original RMS report.  The officer must indicate in the narrative of the MNCrash report that they wrote an original RMS report in addition to the MNCrash report.  This will avoid duplicate data entry by the Records Unit.

Transport by Ambulance:

If the crash involves injuries that result in someone being transported to the hospital by ambulance, the officer will write an original RMS report.  The officer must indicate in the narrative of the MNCrash report that they wrote an original RMS report in addition to the MNCrash report.  This will avoid duplicate data entry by the Records Unit.

Arrests:

If an officer makes an arrest (booking) in relation to the traffic crash investigation, they will write an original RMS report.  The officer must indicate in the narrative of the MNCrash report that they wrote an original RMS report in addition to the MNCrash report.  This will avoid duplicate data entry by the Records Unit.

Morgan Plan:

Officers responding to a property damage only crash involving two or more vehicles will issue each driver a Morgan Plan packet. The packet contains an explanation letter from the Saint Paul Police Department and two copies of the Minnesota State Crash Report. Officers should advise the drivers that the packet contains the necessary reports and copies of the law advising them of their responsibilities.

Citation:

If officers issue a citation, they should document ALL of the elements needed for charging the offense in the citation, as the citation will be a stand-alone document. If more room is needed, officers should write a RMS report.

When responding to ANY crash, even crashes under the Morgan Plan, officers will be required to check the driving status of each driver and vehicle insurance for both vehicles. If any driving status, driving, or insurance violations are present, a citation MUST be issued.

MNCrash (state crash report) Reports:

Pursuant to G.O. 610.02 and G.O. 610.00, conditions may exist requiring an officer to write a MNCrash (state crash report) report in lieu of issuing the Morgan Plan packet. In those situations, the crash report will be completed in accordance with the Minnesota Crash Records System (MNCrash) program.  All crash reports written by Saint Paul Police officers will be completed on-line using the MyBCA website.  A copy will be printed by the officer and turned into the Records Unit.

Officers are not required to write a MNCrash (state crash report) report unless one of the following conditions exist:

  • Fatalities
  • Hit and run (in accordance with G.O. 610.02)
  • Pedestrian crashes and crashes involving bicycles
  • Crash cases where photographs or measurements were taken
  • When a person at the scene of a crash has been transported by medics to a medical facility (pursuant to G.O. 611.00, a Crash Reconstruction Officer (CRO) shall be called to the scene of a crash for all personal injury crashes with substantial bodily injury)
  • All cases involving damage to City owned vehicles and/or other city property
  • Damage to property other than a vehicle
  • Investigating a crime (e.g. under the influence or intoxicated driver) or incidents involving hazardous materials
  • Situations where a CRO response is deemed necessary
     

When required, officers will ensure that the MNCrash report contains all of the required information and is completed thoroughly.  They will ensure that the following information is clearly documented in the report: 

  • Damage to vehicles
  • Injuries
  • Citations

On Scene Investigations:

A crash investigation addresses the questions of how and why a crash happened; whereas writing a report only documents the who, what, where and when of an incident. In order to conduct a sufficient investigation, the officer must apply interviewing/interrogation skills, apply elements of the offense, discover evidentiary items and recover or record those itemsf

Original Report:

An original report explaining the crash and the resulting investigation will be submitted in the following instances:

  • Fatalities

  • Someone is transported by ambulance from the scene (not just checked out at the scene and released)

  • An arrest (booking) is made as part of the crash investigation

Supplemental Report:

A supplemental report explaining the crash and the resulting investigation will be submitted in the following instances:

  • When the MNCrash (state crash report) report is not sufficient to record the details involved

    Field Sketch or Diagram:

    A clear sketch or diagram is required showing all facts of the crash scene for all fatal and serious injury crashes. Measurements of the physical scene such as street width will be shown, as well as, measurements locating vehicles, bodies, marks on the road and final position of all units involved.

    Photography:

    Photographs will be taken at all fatalities, and serious personal injury crashes.

    Photographs are encouraged in all other cases where, in the judgment of the officer, the photograph will enhance communication of the facts. Photograph all vehicles, all damage areas of each vehicle, the overall scene, the approaches to the scene, the location of evidence, marks on the road and the position of bodies. Additional photographs pertinent to the investigating officer.

    Supervision:

    The district supervisor will:

  • Attend all crashes involving fatalities, serious personal injury, serious property damage, criminal vehicular operation, and those involving department vehicles.
  • Direct the investigation and assure that all necessary reports, pictures and measurements are completed and forwarded to the Records Unit.
  • Notify the watch commander or traffic and pedestrian safety unit commander of the circumstances of the crash whenever:

  1. Fatal or serious crash (injury or property damage) has occurred

  2. Squad car is involved resulting in injury or vehicular damage

    If it appears a felony offense is involved, the supervisor will determine if the scene will be kept secured until the investigators and/or Forensic Services Unit arrival, or if it will be processed by a CRO.

    Revised February 26, 2020

Last Edited: February 27, 2020