Indianapolis Gets Serious About Car Crash Investigations
After roadway deaths surged, the Indiana city set up a commission to review what’s causing fatal crashes — and make public recommendations on how to fix it.
After police finish their investigation of fatal crashes, Indianapolis’ new Fatal Crash Review Commission steps in to scrutinize the incident.
Photographer: ftwitty/E+ via Getty Images
At around 4 p.m. on Sept. 14, 2021, Hannah Crutchfield was crossing the street in front of her Indianapolis elementary school. The 7-year-old was using the crosswalk and walking with her mother; a crossing guard stood nearby. All three of them were struck by a car in what the police later said was a high-speed, multi-vehicle crash. Hannah was killed; her mother and the crossing guard were seriously injured.
Hannah was one of an estimated 7,485 pedestrians who died on American roadways in 2021, the highest total in four decades. As is typical in the US, the Indianapolis police conducted an investigation into the crash and eventually charged two drivers with felonies.