Last Updated: September 29, 2009 Table of Contents Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..3 Indiana Codes/Guidelines for submitting a report to crash records…………………….....4 Determining when a crash report is required……………………………………................5 Determining the number of crash reports needed…………………………………………5 Differences between an original, a supplemental, and supporting document……………..6 User Information…………………………………………………………………………..7 Start Report…………………………………………………………………………….…10 User configuration Screen………………………………………………………………..11 Collision Report Menu ..…………………………………………………………………14 Welcome/Update Screen…………………………………………………………………16 Agency/Investigation Screen……………………………………………………………..16 Error Message…………………………………………………………………………….19 Wizard Edit Screen……………………………………………………………………….20 Collision Information ………………………………………………………………….....21 Collision Occurred (Location)……………………………………………………………23 Roadway Information (Primary)………………………………………………………….23 Intersection/Nearest Intersecting Road, etc. (secondary)…………………………………24 General Information……………………………………………………………………....26 Unit Information (Edit)……………………………………………………....……………29 Vehicle Information……………………………………………………………………….30 Unit Information (Contributing Factors)…………………………………………………..32 Commercial Motor Vehicle…………………………………………………………….....34 Individual Information………………………………………………………………….....37 Individual Injury Information…………………………………………………………..…40 Trailer Section………………………………………………………………………….….45 Witness/Other Participant………………………………………………………………....47 Narrative………………………………………………………………………………..….48 Diagram……………………………………………………………………………….…...49 Error Window…………………………………………………………………………..….51 Menu Windows………………………………………………………………………….....52 Quick Capture……………………………………………………………………………...54 Supplemental Reports……………………………………………………………………...62 View Attachments……………………………………………………………………….…55 Driver’s Exchange Form…………………………………………………………………...55 Transfer of Completed Reports….………………………………………………………....65 Supporting Documents……………………………………………………………………...67 Appendix……………………………………………………………………………………68 Glossary…..............................................................................................................................69 2 Introduction The ARIES 2009 provides officers an electronic means to complete the Indiana Officer’s Crash Report form. It is designed to be faster and more efficient than handwriting reports. The program uses business edits to provide the user with only the areas of the report that are needed to complete the crash, as described by the user, and additional edits are built-in to further reduce errors. The ARIES 2009 is designed to be a hands-on computer program. Meaning, the entire report can be completed by the user without having to remove his/her hands from the keyboard. Users can also utilize their “mouse” to move through the ARIES 2009 and its individual screens. Although good typing skills are beneficial they are not necessary in order to successfully use the ARIES 2009. Each agency should designate a primary computer or setup a network in order to send/receive, store, and recall approved reports. All questions regarding the ARIES 2009 should be directed to your local agency ARIES 2009 administrator, if unresolved or unavailable, contact the Technical Support group of Open Portal Solutions at 317-215-8300. Agency ARIES 2009 Administrator: Name: _______________________________________ Contact Number: _______________________________ Contact email: _________________________________ 3 INDIANA CODES IC 9-26-2-2 Sec. 2. A law enforcement officer shall forward a written report of each accident investigated under section 1 of this chapter to the state police department within twenty-four (24) hours after completing the investigation. IC 9-26-2-4 Sec. 4. (a) A law enforcement officer shall enforce IC 9-21 and IC 9-25 against the parties to a motor vehicle accident on private property if the accident: (1) occurs on commercial or other private property that is open to the public; and (2) results in: (A) personal injury or death; or (B) property damage to an apparent extent greater than $1,000. (b) This section does not affect the power of a local government unit to contract with the owner or lessee of a shopping center or private business property under IC 9-21-18-4. IC 9-26-3-2 Sec. 2. An accident report required to be made in writing must be made on the appropriate form approved by the state police department and must contain all of the required information unless the information is not available. IC 9-26-3-5 Sec. 5. The state police department shall tabulate and may analyze all accident reports and shall publish annually or at more frequent intervals statistical information based on the reports as to the number and circumstances of traffic accidents. IC 9-30-7-3 Sec. 3. (a). A law enforcement officer shall offer a portable breath test or chemical test to any person who the officer has reason to believe operated a vehicle that was involved in a fatal crash or a crash involving serious bodily injury. 4 DETERMINING WHEN A CRASH REPORT IS REQUIRED Motor vehicle crashes have a number of characteristics that are used to determine whether or not a crash has occurred. If the answer to each of the questions below is “yes”, the incident is a motor vehicle crash. 1) Did the incident involve one or more motor vehicles? 2) Of the motor vehicles involved, was at least one in motion? 3) Did the incident originate on a trafficway, or on private property; and where injury or apparent damage occurred, as per IC 9-26-2-4 to require a report? 4) Was there at least one occurrence of injury or damage, which was not a direct result of a cataclysm (act of nature)? Note: Previously, acts of “Deliberate intent” (suicide, homicide, legal intervention, etc.) were excluded from crash reports and documented on criminal case reports; however, depending on an agencies policy, a victim or their agent could have difficultly in obtaining needed information. As a result of this, if a deliberate act meets the criteria set forth in questions 1-4, a crash report will be required in addition to any criminal report(s). What if the vehicles are moved? A report should be completed and is required by law if the crash involves $1,000 or more in property damage, or when personal injury or death has occurred, regardless if the vehicle(s) have been moved prior to the officer’s arrival. DETERMINING THE NUMBER OF CRASH REPORTS NEEDED (One Report or Two?) If a chain of events occurs without the situation coming to a stabilized condition, it is one crash regardless of how many vehicles are involved. Example: An object falls from a vehicle, bounces off the road and strikes another vehicle. This would require a single crash report to be completed. If the vehicles and conditions surrounding the crash have stabilized and another event occurs, it becomes two separate crashes. Example: An object falls from a vehicle, bounces off the road and strikes another vehicle, this would require the completion of one report. Then after stabilization, another vehicle strikes either the object or vehicle from the first event, which would then require the completion of a second report. 5 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AN ORIGINAL, A SUPPLEMENTAL AND A SUPPORTING DOCUMENT Original: Defined as a new report submitted to crash records for the first time whether the investigation has been completed or not. Supplemental: Defined as a report that adds to a previously submitted original report. Examples: Results received from a pending blood test or a hit and run driver is identified, etc. Supporting Documents: Defined as documents that are submitted with an original or a supplemental report that “supports” the investigation (examples: witness statements, diagrams and toxicology reports, etc.). Use only a white 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper to submit a supporting document. The following information must appear on the document: 1. Pages should be numbered in numerical order in relationship to the document being supported. Example: If the original report form uses three (3) pages the first supporting document would be numbered page 4, and the second supporting document would be page 5, etc. 2. Local ID number 3. Crash date 4. Crash time 5. Crash location 6. Driver(s) name 7. Investigating officer’s printed name 8. Investigating agency name Mail supporting documents to: Indiana State Police, Crash Records Section Indiana Government Center North 100 North Senate Avenue Indianapolis, IN. 46204-2259 6 ARIES 2009 User information NEVER-NEVER-NEVER use the ARIES 2009 to complete a report and then attempt to send a paper copy to Crash Records. ARIES 2009 reports must be sent electronically to Crash Records or it will be rejected and returned. Navigation Buttons The buttons below are navigation buttons allowing the user to move through the program. Ways to activate the navigation buttons: 1. Tabbing to each button and then hitting “enter”; 2. Utilizing the mouse to activate the button; or 3. Depressing the “Alt” key and the corresponding underlined letter for the button. Navigation Button functions: Save: Allows the user to stop while working in the ARIES 2009 and save the entered information to return later and complete it. Cancel: Closes the report and all previously unsaved information will be lost. <Back: Allows the user to move backwards through the report. Next>: Allows the user to move forward to the point were the last data was entered. Finish: Enabled when the report has been successfully completed and allows the reports to be logged as new. Keyboard Information Tab Button: Depressing the “tab” button will move the user forward through the fields and boxes. Depressing the “shift and tab” buttons will move the user backwards through the fields. Space Bar: Depressing the space bar will activate certain drop boxes and will place check marks in fields such as “AM” and “PM”. Enter: Depressing the “enter” button will activate certain drop boxes and navigation buttons. 7 Data Information Boxes A large amount of information within the ARIES 2009 is selected from predetermined lists or manually typed into boxes that also contain optional lists. There are two types of information boxes contained in the ARIES 2009 Drop Down and Combination (Combo) boxes. Each type of box has different characteristics and input options. Drop Down Boxes: • Are restricted to the information contained in the list. • Populate as information is typed into them. • Depressing the space bar will activate the drop down box list. The list is then visible in the window only and can be scrolled using the arrow keys. • Continued depressing of one letter scrolls through the options in the list using that letter. • Select the drop arrow to view the entire or larger portion of the list which can be scrolled by using the arrow keys. • A highlighted entry can be activated by clicking on it with the mouse or hit enter. • May automatically filter the choices of other drop down boxes: Example: The selection of the County where the crash occurred will automatically limit the operator to: Townships within the chosen county in the Township Box and Locations within the chosen county in the City Box 8 Combo Boxes: • Do not automatically populate as information is typed. • Information maybe typed into the box that is not an option from the list provided. • To scroll through the list, select the drop down arrow and use the arrow keys to move within the list. • Hit “Enter” to enter a highlighted name or select a name from the list with the mouse. • The “space bar” will not activate a combo box. • May also populate lists within other combo boxes: Example: Selecting the “make” of vehicle from the list will automatically populate a list of choices within the vehicle model type. • To access the populated list select the drop arrow for the box. • If information is typed directly into the box and not chosen from the list, the second list will not be automatically populated and information must be typed into this box. 9 To start using the ARIES 2009 Click the ARIES 2009 logo (located on the desktop) or or Find the program in the Windows start menu: 10