The Wisconsin State Patrol Technical Reconstruction Unit (TRU) applies the scientific process of investigating, analyzing, and drawing conclusions about the causes and events during major vehicle crashes or crime scenes across the state. The TRU uses current technology to document scenes, including robotic total stations, laser scanners, and global navigation satellite systems for forensic mapping purposes and computer hardware for extracting crash data from vehicle systems. Generation of diagrams and three-dimensional computer models, scene animation, and utilization of mathematical calculations for traffic crash and crime scene reconstruction is central to the capabilities of the TRU.
Roles and responsibilities of the TRU include:
- Scene reconstruction
- Comprehensive analysis of vehicle collisions
- Professional reports, trial exhibits, and expert witness testimony
- Performing trajectory analysis and any measurement-related needs
- Computer diagramming and modeling
- 3-D printing
- Providing training and education
- Simulations and animations of crash events
- Event Data Recorder (EDR) analysis
- Forensic mapping of scenes using total station technology and 3-D laser scanning