Survive the drive: Crash investigator’s emotional burden from Tasmania road crash fatals

Crash investigator Adam Hall’s job requires a laser focus and a dispassionate assessment of the facts. But it’s not the horrific crash scenes that he finds the hardest to deal with. HIS STORY >>

Senior Constable Adam Hall collison analyst Crash Investigation Services Tasmania Police. FOR CRASH SERIES - Those affected by road accidents. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

When crash investigator Adam Hall arrives at the scene of a fatal crash, his job is to put together the pieces of the puzzle as to how the tragedy occurred.

The task demands a clear focus, expert analysis and an unbiased assessment of the facts.

His work is often relied on in court and informs the coroner’s report. It helps to determine the cause of a crash and who, if anyone, is at fault.

A crash investigator for the past 10 years, Senior Constable Hall is a qualified collision analyst. He is good at what he does. His work is based on logic, science and expertise. Emotion doesn’t really play a role in his analysis.

But Constable Hall is no robot. He is not immune to the effects that horrific accidents have, often taking on the grief that a victim’s loved ones go through.

Senior Constable Adam Hall said his biggest challenge was dealing with the families in the weeks and months after a crash. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Constable Hall said he’s not overly affected what he sees and does at a scene, even when at times it is extremely confronting.

“The biggest challenge for me is probably dealing with the families in the ongoing weeks and months following the crash,” he said.

“It’s hard to not get emotionally involved and take on some of the grief that the family’s feeling.

“They’re looking at us to the investigators to provide them with answers straight away.”

Constable Hall has been working in Tasmania Police for 13 years and as a crash investigator for a decade.

“Once you’ve been doing this role for a while it does sort of take a toll,” he said.

“There’s not too many crash investigators in the state that haven’t had some crash that they’ve been to that hasn’t seriously affected them at some point.

“The family members especially when a young person dies in a traffic crash, quite often you see the parents of the deceased never really get over it.” he said.

“Unfortunately a lot of the victims we see on our roads are of the younger age.

“I’ve investigated a couple of fatalities where the person who’s died has been the only child. I’ve seen parents separate and move on and essentially not cope.”

Constable Hall said he can still be dealing with families for years after a crash, especially when there is an offending driver involved and it goes through the court process before a coronial report.

Senior Constable Adam Hall collison analyst Crash Investigation Services Tasmania Police. FOR CRASH SERIES - Those affected by road accidents. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“A lot of the time it’s hard not to get emotionally involved and at times take on some of the grief that the family’s feeling,” he said.

“At times we really get to know the next of kin and the family of the deceased really well.”

Constable Hall said the first couple of weeks following a fatality are especially difficult.

“It’s something that comes very unexpectedly and very sudden to those family and friends.”

Social media and the news plays a big role in road fatalities Constable Hall said – especially stories about younger people’s deaths affecting more than just their family.

“It does ripple through the community.”

Constable Hall empathises with grieving loved ones because he’s attended road fatalities where he’s known the deceased.

“I sort of have that understanding both from how it affects you as a frontline investigator, but also how it affects the close-knit community,” he said.

“The role that we have as crash investigators is an extremely important one.

“Probably the biggest pleasure that I get out of my job is being able to provide answers to the families in relation to how their loved one passed away.”