Drones deployed to help Minnesota State Patrol investigate crashes faster
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. – Troopers with the Minnesota State Patrol say by using drone technology, they're able to process fatal and near fatal accident scenes faster – and more accurately.
MSP says they got their first drone for accident reconstruction in October of 2020, but the program has since grown to include using 24 drones throughout the state.
"The investment in technology allows us to process a scene in just a couple of minutes versus sometimes, a couple of hours, so the advantage is, we get the road open sooner," said Colonel Matt Langer of Minnesota State Patrol.
Langer says prior to using drones, troopers would process certain aspects of the scene manually, a process that took longer and was more prone to error.
Ever wonder what it looks like when a car going 40MPH hits a bike?
— Adam Duxter (@AdamDuxter) August 18, 2022
Today @MnDPS_MSP is giving us an inside look at reconstructing crashes like this one… and the new tool they’re using to do it.
Tonight at 6 on @wcco. pic.twitter.com/wweoK7JUnS
"We're pushing the envelope when it comes to technology and supporting our troopers by having the best technology possible," he said.
On Thursday, troopers detailed how the process works by simulating a 40 MPH crash between a car and bicycle.
Once the drone was in the air, troopers say it took more than 50 photographs over the course of two minutes.
"Very typical scene, where you'll see skid marks, you'll see the crashed vehicle, you'll see the victim and the bicycle, so there's a lot of evidence for us to figure out what happened and why it happened," Langer said. "A big part of our job is figuring out what happened and why it happened, so we can help the people through it."