LAKE WALES, Fla. — The Lake Wales Police Department is using new technology to better investigate deadly car crashes and keep the flow of traffic moving.
If you drive in Lake Wales, then you know that US Hwy 27 is notorious for accidents.
“It’s very, very dangerous. People don’t pay attention; they crash into each other. I almost hit somebody the other day,” said John Chaney.
According to authorities there have been more than 100 crashes on US Hwy 27 so far this year.
Lake Wales police officers are now equipped with a new tool to help them investigate deadly car crashes. The Faro mapping system provides a precise 3D rendering of a fatal car crash or a major crime scene.
“It’s a true to scale rendering of the crime scene. So, a lot better than crime scene photos and things we’ve used in the past,” said Sgt. Michael Waldron with Lake Wales Police Department traffic unit.
The device uses a laser to map out millions of points on the scene and creates a 3D model.
“It’s a full 360 degrees around but it’s also up in the air as well,” Waldron explained.
Before, it would take officers four hours to map out several hundred measurements by hand. This new system gives officers more information and allows them to get the roadways back open sooner.
“With the old system it would take us hours and hours to be able to map out so the roadways could be closed for six to 8 hours. With this system it can map out these locations, each scan takes about 5 minutes depending on how large the scene is, but in about two hours we can have a very large scene mapped out,” Waldron said.
The Tampa Police Department and Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office are also using similar technology.
Waldron said the renderings provide a true representation of the actual crash or crime scene which can be beneficial in court.
“We can actually show the jury how it actually looked at the time of the incident. Not just photos or videos but we can move through that 3D model and show exactly how it was. Looks like you were right there on the scene,” Waldron said.
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