Many of us have experienced this scenario before: you’re driving on the road, and suddenly, boom! A car hits you from behind. Now you’re stuck in a fender bender, waiting 30 minutes or longer for the police to arrive and file a report. But now, there’s a way to handle it all from your phone.
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) and the Central Florida Expressway Authority have launched the “Desk Trooper” pilot program. This initiative offers a faster way for troopers to handle minor crashes that qualify.
“Troopers are able to send you a text message,” explained Lt. Tara Crescenzi, Public Information Officer for FHP. “You can click the link, allow permission for your audio and visual, and it provides an exact location of where you’re at. It also enables audio so the trooper can interview both parties and any witnesses. They can assess the damage to the cars and log that information into the system.”
Afterward, drivers will receive a crash report via email with all the necessary information for insurance purposes. Officials believe this program can help address staffing shortages while significantly reducing wait times.
“From what our technology partner is telling us, we expect to shorten those wait times to roughly 15 minutes,” said Geo Morales, Director of Communications for the Central Florida Expressway Authority.
The program is expected to be especially helpful during the busy holiday season.
“This will help you get to your family gathering without waiting for a trooper who might be tied up on the interstate dealing with a complete roadblock,” Crescenzi noted.
News 6’s Trooper Steve Montiero, who has years of experience in law enforcement, acknowledged that it could improve response times, but he is concerned about its ability to assess other factors in crashes.
“How do you investigate a DUI? How do you figure out if this crash is fraud? How do you determine if there’s a criminal element involved at the crash scene? These are things you can’t do over the phone,” he said.
Officials plan to review the Desk Trooper pilot program over the next two years to evaluate its effectiveness.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: