As she pulled up to bumper-to-bumper highway traffic, Sarah could not have foreseen that these were her last few moments of life. Emmett, the driver of a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck behind her, was driving just over 70 miles per hour. Emmett hadn’t realized traffic had come to a standstill ahead, and before he could stop, his truck plowed into Sarah’s Chevy Bolt which was thrust into the cars stopped ahead of her. This traumatic impact killed Sarah at the scene, leaving her husband and young children without their beloved mother.

Liability for this accident was not a question, but dramatizing what happened was a critical part of the video documentary prepared for mediation with the help Jeanette Pavini at Real Deal Digital. To demonstrate and tell the forensic story of what happened, attorney Bradley Bostick of the Mediation and Law Office of Bradley Bostick enlisted Jason Fries and 3D Forensic to visualize the incident based on the accident reconstruction of expert Dan Mahoney.

To build an understanding of this case, Jason and the team reviewed pertinent evidence including photos, reports and statements. 3DF discussed and outlined the key details and factors of this case in depth with Mr. Bostick and Mr. Mahoney and could begin developing the 3D reconstruction.

3D Forensic then visited the accident site to capture pertinent data including 3D laser scans as well as drone imagery. Forensic laser scanning provides an accurate foundation for 3D reconstructions with hundreds of millions of accurate measurements, while drones can capture images and videos that can be stitched together to efficiently create 3D model foundations based on the images.

Our team uploaded this data into our reconstruction software and could start building out the accident reconstruction. The team input 3D models of the vehicles involved including Emmett’s Chevrolet Silverado, Sarah’s Chevy Bolt, and the vehicles of the witnesses and cars that were subsequently impacted since they were directly involved. We then verified these models’ physical dimensions and specifications by cross-referencing primary resources and placed them in the scene.

3DF now had a 3D Working Model with all the correct physical elements ready for testing and demonstration. Our technicians could consult with Mr. Mahoney for advanced accident reconstruction by inputting the factors that he had determined so far, then test any aspects that were still to be certified. The team began orienting vehicles to positions and animating their speeds in alignment with the evidence from the accident.

Several factors were key to communicate in this case, so we storyboarded these ideas with the team ahead of an upcoming mediation date.

First, Emmett’s impact with Sarah had fatal results because he did not perceive and react to the stopped traffic in time. Though the event data recorder (EDR) data had shown Emmett did brake just before the accident, this effort only slowed him down from over 70 mph to about 40 mph. This braking occurred within 100 feet of Sarah’s stopped car that had engaged its brake lights, which would be plenty of stimuli for Emmett to stop if he had been paying attention.

Next, the sheer weight and speed difference led to an especially gruesome impact with Sarah. 3DF showed that the Chevrolet Silverado weighs over 6,500 pounds, while the smaller Chevy Bolt weighs about 2,300 pounds, nearly a 3:1 weight difference.

With impact at 40 mph, this impact led to a list of injuries that contributed to Sarah’s fatality at the scene:

• Complete internal decapitation
• Several spine, pelvis and hand fractures
• Multiple bilateral rib fractures
• Cuts, abrasions, and contusions across the whole body
• Periorbital ecchymosis, or traumatic eye bleeding

After delivering a fully rendered animation reflecting these points, Mr. Bostick used these visuals to support his arguments at mediation. The reconstruction and videos were key in reaching an acceptable confidential settlement at mediation for Sarah's family.

Jason Fries and his team delivered an exceptional product on time and within budget that seamlessly fit into the overall presentation.

-Bradley Bostick, Mediation and Law Office of Bradley Bostick