Sometimes evidence that may be uncommon can break open a case if an investigator/analyst understands that evidence. That was the message given to members of the American Academy of Forensic Science (AAFS) in a presentation given by Zygmunt Gorski at its annual meeting on Friday, February 19, 2021. Given the COVID-19 restrictions the meeting had to held virtually.

The presentation entitled “Roadside Tire Marks: A Useful Source of Supplementary Evidence” described the various types of physical evidence that is created in a motor vehicle collision. That physical evidence is created on the road surface in terms of gouges, scrapes, fluid spills and tire marks. It is also created in the damage to the involved vehicles and used to calculate vehicle speeds, collision severity, and matching of one vehicle to another. It is also created in the vehicle interior with respect to occupant contacts that are used to match injuries to the vehicle interior.

In a select few instances, tire marks on the roadside can help to unravel certain collision scenarios if the investigator/analyst is properly trained and experienced in identifying and interpreting that evidence. This was  the focus of the Gorski Consulting presentation.