P1R1
100 word response 1 reference/intext citation from the internet
Due 2/21/2025
Hollie
Vehicle-involved investigations often present diverse and complex opportunities for evidence collection. What advanced forensic techniques are used to gather evidence from vehicles, such as tire impressions, event data recorders, and trace materials? Critically analyze how such evidence is reconstructed to establish timelines, suspect movements, or culpability. Explore the limitations and potential pitfalls of relying on vehicle-derived evidence, citing real-world cases where its use was either pivotal or problematic.
Vehicle-involved investigations can have so many opportunities for evidence, which is ideal for investigators. Advanced techniques that are used to gather the evidence include tire impression analysis, EDR extraction, and trace material analysis. Impression analysis involves the “determination of the tread pattern and comparison of the pattern with specimens of known manufacturer or with published materials that illustrate the tread patterns of domestic and foreign manufactured tires” (Ogle & Plotkin, 2018, p.224). This allows investigators to reconstruct and determine a likely timeline for the incident. Trace material analysis and EDR extraction work hand in hand with the impression analysis, which can help investigators analyze and determine what happened. Some limitations that often come into play with vehicle-involved investigations include environmental factors, transfer of trace evidence among vehicles, and if the interpretation of the EDR data is not accurate. Case examples can be pivotal and includes a hit-and-run case where investigators were able to match a set of tires to a suspect, which would allow them to believe that they were involved. Something that could be problematic, as mentioned before is an incorrect EDR reading of the evidence. It shows how important it is to be cautious about that type of analysis.
