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Address:
Amy Summerfield
Deputy Prosecuting Atty.
One Hamilton County Square
Suite 134
Noblesville, Indiana 46060
, IN |
FACT: Over 13,000 people are killed each year in alcohol-related traffic crashes nationally.1 This is like losing the entire Town of Fishers over four years … or the City of Westfield every year.
FACT: In 2006, 18,492 Hoosiers suffered injuries in alcohol-related crashes. 716 were incapacitated, and nearly 300 were killed. 2
FACT: Intoxicated driving takes and shatters far too many lives every year.
FACT: Intoxicated driving is a crime.
The Fatal Alcohol Crash Team of Metro Hamilton County exists to ensure that intoxicated drivers who maim and kill are prosecuted to the fullest extent. Team members:
- Respond to the crime scene
- Investigate that crime
- Testify at trial
The F.A.C.T. was chartered with a grant from the Governor’s Council on Impaired and Dangerous Driving in early 2005.
The F.A.C.T. brings together the specialists and equipment required for these cases. Specialists on each team:
- Team leader
- OWI Specialists
- Crash Reconstructionists
- Interviewers
The F.A.C.T. of Metro Hamilton County includes officers from:
- Fishers Police Department
- Carmel Police Department
- Noblesville Police Dept.
- Westfield Police Dept.
The F.A.C.T. also has a prosecutor assigned to it from the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office. This deputy prosecutor:
- Responds to the scene
- Helps the investigation
- Files criminal charges
- Prosecutes the case
100% conviction rate!
In 2006, Hamilton County had3:
- 12 fatal traffic crashes
- 68 incapacitating injury crashes
In that year, alcohol-related crashes in Hamilton County:
Fatal Alcohol Crash Teams are currently operating in six other counties: Marion, Elkhart, Saint Joseph, Allen, Kosciusko, and Tippecanoe.
If you witness a serious crash:
- Remain available to talk with law enforcement officers about what you witnessed
- Record some notes as soon after the crash as you can
Do your part to help:
- Don’t drink and drive
- Don’t let anyone around you drink and drive
- Call 911 when you suspect another driver of being impaired
- Support law enforcement
- Support your local F.A.C.T.
1 Traffic Safety Facts, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (February 2008), available at http://www.nhtsa. dot.gov/staticfiles/DOT/NHTSA/NCSA/Content/RNotes/2008/810920.pdf.
2 Indiana Traffic Safety Facts, Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (July 2007), available at http://www.in.gov/cji/files/2007Alcohol _5thProof.pdf.
3 County Profiles 2006, Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (August 2007), available at http://www.in.gov/cji/files/County_ Fact_Sheet.pdf. Of great concern is that in 2007, the total number of traffic fatalities in Hamilton County shot up to 21.
