L'Anse Creuse Criminal Justice Students Investigate Mock Car Crash

A two-car accident behind the John R. Armstrong Performing Arts Center Wednesday brought officers from the Macomb County Sheriff's Office and as well as paramedics from Medstar Ambulance to survey the scene and instruct L'Anse Creuse criminal justice students in the crash investigation.

The accident was the fifth mock car crash staged by Tom Grindem's Frederick V. Pankow Center criminal justice class in cooperation with local law enforcement.

"It's a very realistic opportunity to experience what we've been talking about," Grindem said. "Half the whole point is to reduce injuries and investigate crimes. They made two arrests here and processed the crime scene to recreate it in court."

When asked how he thought his students handled the situation, Grindem replied, "According to the cop, these kids are better than half the cops on the road."

From how to approach an accident scene to interviewing the persons involved and assisting victims, students experienced all roles involved in the investigation of an accident scene.

"We show them how to make a first approach to look at an accident from a distance, to make sure you are stopping in an area safe for yourself and everyone else," said Officer Rob Fitzpatrick, Chesterfield police. "We have them assess any injury, get backup on the scene and treat any seriously injured occupants of the vehicles."

Wednesday's crash was determined to be the result of two drunken drivers, which unfortunately, ended in the death of one CPR dummy and the severed arm of Mike Locke. Luckily for Locke, the arm was a Halloween prop.

Students administered CPR to the dummy, and Medstar paramedics helped them transport the injured passengers into the waiting ambulance.

Junior Ashley Porterfieod was the first "officer" to arrive on the scene and said the experience only solidified her interest in criminal justice.

"I've learned first to make sure you block off the area and make sure you're not rolling over evidence, to check for injury, find out what happened and go from there," Porterfieod said. "I plan to be CSI. I really enjoyed (today) and still want to go into (criminal justice)."

A former student of Grindem's and former Detroit police officer, Bryan Ede, helped students reconstruct the crash scene to calculate how fast the cars were going and determine how the accident occurred. 

Several dozen junior criminal justice students participated in the mock crash, receiving firsthand instruction from law enforcement and paramedics in emergency response, radio communication, accident investigation, CPR, first aid, operating while intoxicated investigation and arrest, extrication from a vehicle, and witness and victim interviews.