Reverse Engineering the Crash that Never Happened
He was on a routine drive home just before midnight on a Saturday night. Traveling westbound, he stopped at a red light at a T-intersection. The light changed to yellow…
The Light at the End of the Tunnel
James R. Schmidt, Jr., BSME, Collision Reconstruction Engineering Analyst Okay, if it’s not speed from video that I’m writing about, then it’s sun glare! (more…)
The Need for Speed: Obtaining Speed From Video
James R. Schmidt, Jr., BSME, Collision Reconstruction Engineering Analyst You guessed it! If Jim Schmidt is writing something, it must be regarding speed from video! That’s because I’m passionate about…
Watch Out for Off-Tracking!
James R. Schmidt, Jr., BSME, Collision Reconstruction Engineering Analyst Before departing a trucking facility, a loaded tractor-trailer parked in the “cars only” parking lot for office employees. The tractor-trailer operator…
What do the Philadelphia Phillies have to do with Collision Reconstruction?
James R. Schmidt, Jr., BSME, Collision Reconstruction Engineering Analyst Using a high-resolution, to-scale aerial image of Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies, an evaluation of the in-game…
When Collision Reconstruction Gets Personal
Recently, I was involved in a non-deployment crash while returning home from my parents’ house. Two-lane rural roadway. Nighttime, dry, clear conditions. No street lighting. Dark lighting conditions. And when…
“Speed (and more) From Video”
Surveillance cameras are becoming increasingly more prevalent in today’s world, and videos from these surveillance cameras are oftentimes invaluable to an accident reconstruction analysis. In this example, the movement of…
Evaluating Vehicle Speed From Video… It Never Gets Old For Me!
James R. Schmidt, Jr., BSME, Sr. Collision Reconstruction Engineer Dash cam video from a vehicle traveling westbound on State Route 372 in Holtwood, Lancaster County, PA was evaluated for vehicle…
An Example of Off-Tracking
James R. Schmidt, Jr., BSME, Sr. Collision Reconstruction Engineer A tractor-trailer making a turn undergoes noticeable off-tracking. Specifically, the trailer tires track well to the inside of the path followed…
