Sometimes, determining the basic circumstances that led to a fatal car accident is a relatively straight forward process. When it is clear that one driver was speeding or driving under the influence of alcohol, the underlying cause of the crash is likely self evident. Some accident investigations however are not nearly as simple.

In a fatal accident in Connecticut last weekend, one 35-year-old man from New Haven apparently ended up driving the wrong way on a state highway. The car, travelling northbound in the southbound lanes, collided in a head-on collision with another vehicle driven by a 24-year-old man. The 24-year-old driver died as a result of the injuries he suffered in the crash, his 22-year-old passenger remains hospitalized in critical condition. Connecticut law enforcement officials have indicated that it may be several weeks before the investigation into the fatal crash is able to reach a conclusion.

When a family loses a loved one in a car crash, it is natural to have a strong desire to understand how such a horrible tragedy could have occurred. An accurate investigation is important and may require independent accident reconstruction experts to examine the relevant evidence. This can include the actual wreckage of the vehicles involved, the layout of the accident scene, and skid marks or other damage to the area in which the accident occurred. For a reconstruction to be as accurate as possible it is important that investigators make their observations as soon as possible, before memories fade and evidence fades.

Source: Woodbury-Middlebury Patch, "Fatal Accident Investigation Could Take Weeks," Ronald DeRosa, May 1, 2012