HomeMy WebLinkAboutApplication Files_82693_pg0310 side. Her body then travelled up the hood towards the windshield. Her pelvis area likely impacted the hood causing the
Vent on the hood of the vehicle. This would also account for the dislocation of the right leg from the hip. Based on the
significant damage to the upper portion of the windshield it is clear that her center of mass came into contact with this
area of the vehicle. The damage to the roof line would account for the dislocation of her right shoulder. The fractured
vertebrae in her neck could have occurred during the tumble over the roof of the vehicle or due to the fall back to the ground.
On 18 Nov 08 at 1701 hours I travelled to the South Windsor Public Works facility to evaluate the headlamps of
Vehicle#1. The vehicle was moved into the driveway area where there was little overhead lighting and the area was dark
I then activated the headlamps while the vehicle was parked on a level surface At that time I found that the vehicle's
left front headlamp was not functioning. It was unknown whether the headlamp was out due to damage from the collision or
a pre-existing defect Using a measuring tape I determined that the main beam of the one remaining headlamp illuminated -
an area up to 50 feet from the front bumper of the vehicle" The ambient light from the headlamp partially illuminated an
area of up to 100 feet from the front bumper however objects in this area could not be clearly seen. After obtaining these
measurements I took several photographs of a pedestrian(Agt.Littell#154)standing in front of the vehicle at specific
distances. Agt.Littell#154 was wearing dark clothing(his department issued uniform)at the time these photographs were
taken. The camera was positioned on the passenger side to most accurately reflect the conditions at the time of the collision
by making best use of the one functional headlamp. Agt.Littell also stood in an area where the headlamp would be most likely
to illuminate him. The camera was placed on the roof of the vehicle for clarity of the photographs,however it should be
oted that an operator inside the vehicle would also have to contend with any possible glare off the windshield from other
light sources. Photographs were taken at 100 ft,75 ft,50 ft,40 ft,30 ft,20 ft,10 ft and at the edge of the front bumper.
Upon examination of the photos 1 found that beyond 50 feet,Agt.Littell was only visible if there was a light source behind
him making a silhouette. At 50 feet Agt.Littell started becoming visible however it would still be difficult to identify
him as a pedestrian by an operator of a moving vehicle. At 40 feet Agt.Littell was clearly identifiable as a pedestrian.
At this distance his most visible features were his head and hands,which were the areas of exposed skin. From 40 feet
to zero feet Agt.Littell became more visible as would be expected. A check of Connecticut General Statutes as_well as Dept.
of Motor Vehicle Regulations found that there is no specific requirement for passenger vehicles to have headlamps capable
of illuminating objects over a specified distance. The only statutes related to this matter states that a vehicle must be
visible to other motorists from a distance of 1000 feet.
Based on the statements of Operator#1,John Cortese,the damage sustained by Vehicle#1,the distances involved
and the injuries sustained by Graciela Andino I determined that the speed of Vehicle#1 was not unreasonable. The vehicle
was Likely travelling at or below the posted speed limit of 35 Mph.
Using the above information I performed several time distance calculations with regards to this collision. A vehicle
travelling at the posted speed limit of 35 Mph is moving 51,31 feet per second. Studies recognized by the Institute of Police
Technology and Management showed that the average perception/reaction(P/R)time for unexpected roadway hazards during
daytime is 1.6 seconds. The average P/R time for unexpected roadway hazards at night is 2.5 seconds. The delay for night
R time is due to the fact that hazards are not as easily seen, it takes longer for the driver to recognize and comprehend
Report b page .7 °r 14
Officer - Mainieri. Matthew B - 155
DPS-523C
(A 8TT8�CH TO DPS-523