When a deputy is involved in a traffic crash, just how newsworthy is it? Let's say a deputy rolls a squad car, like maybe at high speed? Is that news?
On Friday evening, November 8, at about 10:45PM McHenry County Sheriff's Department (MCSD) Deputy Rachwalski crashed her squad car near Route 31 and Pioneer Road, which would be north of Johnsburg Road and north of the McHenry Township offices.
As of now, the Northwest Herald still has not published any news of that crash, but they know about it. You can totally believe that they know about it.
Word is that she was running "hot"; i.e, with lights and siren. In most, if not all, of the squad cars, when the lights and siren are activated, then the dashboard video recorder is running. In fact, it is always running. When the driver lights up, the recorder captures the previous 60 seconds and continues to record. This is important to save the evidence to be used against a reckless driver, speeder or DUI, so that the deputy will have proof of his reason to stop a traffic violator.
In this case, the dashcam ought to show her driving to the point of the crash and what, if anything, contributed to the crash. Dep. Rachwalski was responding to a call. Lights and siren were on. Thus, the in-car video should have been recording. What does it show?
Dep. Rachwalski is a fairly new deputy with MCSD. Sometimes, deputies like to "go fast". Is that true of her? Does she think that supervisors aren't watching? Are they? Were they?
MCSD has a valuable tool buried in the squad car. The "black box" enables MCSD to know exactly what was going on before the crash. For example, how fast was Dep. Kachwalski traveling at the time she crashed, and what were her speeds before then?
But the black box has to be pulled from the wrecked car and read. When might somebody in charge at MCSD not want that information available? Maybe, like, if it put the Department in a bad light? They could just stick their heads in the sand and say, "We didn't pull the box" (and we don't have to tell you why we didn't).
How badly was the car wrecked? If it was totaled, as it seems to have been, that'll cost, what, $25,-30,000 to replace. Is this her first wreck?
The data from the black box should be pulled right now. Today. MCSD can either be transparent and accountable, or it can continue to withhold information from the public. The longer they attempt to hide it, the worse it looks for them.
Why isn't the Northwest Herald reporting on this? Editors and reporters know about this crash. It happened Friday night. News should have been published on Saturday. This is Monday.
Will Dep. Rachwalski be cited for this crash? Driving too fast for conditions? Failure to maintain control? Just because you are a deputy, you cannot operate a squad car in a reckless or dangerous manner and get away with it. Or can you?
Which prompts me to wonder, who investigated this crash? Illinois State Police? Johnsburg Police or McHenry Police? Or MCSD itself?
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9 comments:
It is newsworthy Gus. For about five seconds anyway. Gus, who cares? Did she hurt herself? Kill or injure anyone? If she did, THEN it would be newsworthy. But absent things like that, once again, who cares. Accidents happen. She will be dealt with accordingly by the MCSO. They will conduct an investigation into this matter and she will either be disciplined or not. And if she is clouted up and escapes any punishment IF she was actually in the wrong, that happens in the real world. And as far as the State Police investigating, why in the world would you even ask that question? Are they some sort of elite agency that oversee's all other police departments? Truth of the matter is that they are so understaffed that they don't have the time nor inclination to become involved in something so trivial as a traffic crash simply because it involved another police department.
Big Daddy, why should an outside agency investigate a serious vehicle crash involving a MCSD squad car? There is a better chance of an honest, unbiased investigation. But you knew that; right?
In the absence of details from the Sheriff's Dept. or dug out by reporters of the county's daily newspaper, I have filed a FOIA request to review ALL the documentation, including the driver's statement, the dashcam recording and the data from the "black box".
Watch the daily paper for news. No doubt they'll publish it today., while I'm waiting a week for the response to my FOIA Request.
Gus, the way this normally works is that the investigating agency in which the crash occurred will handle the traffic crash investigation. As far as reviewing the in car camera or pulling the black box, that will and should be done by the MCSO, no one else. If it's found that she was at fault she will be punished. End of story.
WOODSTOCK – McHenry County Sheriff’s deputies were involved in two separate crashes last week, neither resulting in serious injury.
A deputy was dispatched for an alarm call at around 10:45 p.m. Friday while heading north on Route 31 near Johnsburg, Undersheriff Andrew Zinke said. With her lights and sirens on, she attempted to turn on to Pioneer Road when she swerved off the roadway to avoid an oncoming car.
The squad car rolled and ended up in a ditch in that area, Zinke said. The deputy suffered no serious injuries.
Two days prior, a different deputy was rear-ended while her vehicle was stuck in traffic on eastbound Route 14 near Washington Street in Crystal Lake, Zinke said. The van that hit the squad car was going about 40 mph.
The driver of the van, a 71-year-old Crystal Lake resident, was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, according to the Crystal Lake Police Department.
Neither driver was seriously injured, Zinke said. The accident occurred at around 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
Both squad cars involved will have to be replaced, Zinke said.
The incidents are being reviewed by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office.
Pretty open and shut cases there, why the panic over everything the MCSO does?
Big Daddy, you don't work for MCSD, do you?
If you did, you'd know that's just the reason to pull in an outside agency. In fact, I've been told that's normal.
But it doesn't always happen. And, sometimes, when it does, it gets white-washed, anyway.
The thin blue line is alive and well here.
hockeyman99, so, are you saying there was no improper driving at 31 & Pioneer Road? The dashcam ought to show the driver's slowing (or not slowing) to turn safely. Swerved to avoid a car? Was that car in its own lane?
The narratives, the photos and a correct diagram will reveal what happened and what the contributing causes were. State law requires law enforcement officers to drive safely.
Gus, I meant to say that the investigation will or should be handled by the Police Department in the city or town in which the crash occurred.
Big Dasddy. thanks. When a deputy crashes in the County itself, outside a municipality, what agency should investigate it?
Then the Sheriff would handle it.
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