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Bellevue Police Learn New Software to Simulate Fatal Car Crashes

BPD Crash Reconstruction Officers have a sophisticated new tool to recreate fatal car accidents. The Vista FX3 software program allows officers to animate the events leading up to a crash for use in court. The process of recreating an accident used to be much more labor intensive. BPD’s Sergeant Larry Lampman said the new software is extremely easy to use and added, "It’s pretty incredible, it takes what took us a day down to a matter of 20 keystrokes. We take measurements, enter the data into the software program, and can recreate the crash in 2D or 3D animation."

Six Bellevue officers and 19 officers from 8 other local law enforcement agencies recently participated in a 40-hour course to learn to use the software. The training was paid for with a grant from the Department of Homeland Security. The software could also be used to recreate a crime scene. For example, if a shooting occurred, the officers could reproduce the inside of a room and a shooter’s movement through the room and the path of the bullet.

The nine law enforcement agencies make up the Fatal Incident Response Support Team (FIRST), an inter-departmental group which responds to any fatal car crash within the three counties of Sarpy, Dodge and Cass, any time the local police department needs support.

Photo: Officer Pestel with Sgt Larry Lampman