Crime Scene Investigation

Scenario:

It's August 2nd at 1 AM. You are a detective of the Torrancetown police department working the midnight shift. You've been dispatched to a one-car fatal motor vehicle accident at 111 East Main St., a four-lane road in a commercial district of the city. A car, which appeared to be speeding on East Main St., lost control and collided with a telephone pole, causing extensive damage to the passenger side of the car.

The telephone pole has crushed the front passenger compartment. The driver's side of the car is relatively undamaged except for spiderweb damage to the driver's side windshield, consistent with somebody hitting their head on it.

Paramedics and the fire department are already on the scene treating the injured persons and managing the fluid leaks from the car. Paramedics identify two occupants of the vehicle. One is outside of a car being treated by medical personnel. He is the registered owner of the vehicle. The other occupant is deceased and positioned halfway across the center consul, between the driver and passenger seat.

No airbags were deployed. The vehicle owner claims he was not driving the car and the deceased occupant was the driver. The vehicle owner has a strong smell of alcohol on his breath. The paramedics reported that when they arrived, it looked like the vehicle owner was pulling the deceased person into the driver's seat of the car. When they asked him what he was doing, the owner said he was trying to get his friend out of the car. The area has numerous 24-hour gas stations and convenience stores.

1. What steps would you take to determine who the driver of the vehicle was?

2. What specific information would you need to know to solve this case?

3. What injuries would be specific to the driver?

4. What injuries would be specific to the passenger?

5. What kind of evidence would you be looking for to process the car?