The officer in charge of a Queensland Police Service (QPS) unit is on the record as saying she never wants to be contacted to do her work.
Senior Sergeant Nicole Fox said the Forensic Crash Unit (FCU) attends the very worst traffic crashes.
“The FCU is a specialist unit within the QPS, and its officers are called out to the worst crash scenes, tasked with the job of uncovering the cause of the incident,” Senior Sergeant Fox said.
“By the time FCU officers arrive at the scene, general duties police and other emergency services are already in attendance, assisting the injured and redirecting traffic.”
She said among the worst scenes FCU officers faced were those where family members arrived to find their loved ones seriously injured or killed in the crash.
“Officers are able to allow them some time to sit with their loved one to say goodbye, even amidst the chaos,” Senior Sergeant Fox said.
“Cars stuck in the traffic behind the scene occasionally honk with frustration, unaware of what happened on the road ahead.”
She said witnesses who have never met the drivers and passengers are visibly upset as they recount their take on the events leading up to the moment.
For the officers who attend these scenes day in day out, this is a normal part of their work.
She said by the time FCU wrap up at the scene, other emergency services have left, the vehicles are cleared away and the roads are reopened.
“Everything seems to be back to normal for everyone except for the members of the family, who have had the worst day in their lives, and for our FCU officers, who had yet another busy day at work dealing with a preventable crash,” Senior Sergeant Fox said.
“We all hope for the phone not to ring. If there were no serious crashes, there would be no need for the Forensic Crash Unit.
“Every decision you make on the road, counts. Road safety is everyone’s responsibility, but that starts with you,” she said.
