Sydney Allen, MS, ACTAR
District Manager
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Expert QuestionS & AnswerS
In the past 10 years, the tools and technology in transportation have changed significantly. What advancement has had the biggest impact on your investigations?
Drones and 3D scanners have completely changed how we investigate crashes. When I started in 2013, we used total stations that gave us a simple dot-to-dot diagram of the scene or a vehicle’s crush pattern. Today, tools like drones, 3D scanners, and phone lidar scanning capture full-color, high resolution 3D data, with millions of points from a single scan. That means richer visuals, more precise measurements, and a clearer story for attorneys, adjusters, and juries.
How does investigating vehicle accidents differ from truck collisions, and what unique evidence or challenges does each present?
Capturing critical data before the vehicle goes back into service. Trucks record a last stop record, usually the last minute or so before shutdown, but that data is overwritten as soon as the truck is moved again. If we can access the truck before it’s moved, we can preserve that data and document the vehicle’s true conditions. Evidence like brake stroke or other component settings can also change once the truck is back on the road, so rapid response makes all the difference.
What is one thing about accident reconstruction that most people get completely wrong?
There is this myth out there that with an increase in the availability of vehicle Event Data Recorder (EDR) data that soon we won’t need reconstructionists. The vehicle data, although helpful, is not the full story. A reconstructionist that is familiar with the various manufacturer-specific nuances, recording thresholds and triggers, and can validate and match the data to the scene evidence is essential when working with EDR data.
Background
Ms. Sydney Allen graduated with a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in civil engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is a fully accredited Accident Reconstructionist through the Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction (ACTAR #3109), as well as a certified Remote Pilot (Drone operator). She is a certified technician and analyst for the removal, download, and reading of airbag control modules for passenger vehicles. Ms. Allen has over 10 years of experience working on criminal and civil cases and has investigated and analyzed many different types of crashes, including those involving pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, utility terrain vehicles (UTVs), passenger cars, school buses, and heavy trucks.
As a forensic engineer, she provides consulting services for legal, insurance, and corporate clients that include analysis and causation determination in the context of traffic collisions.
Education and Certifications
- Civil Engineering, M.S.: University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2021)
- Civil Engineering, B.S.: University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2019)
- ACTAR Full Accreditation: Certificate #3109 (2022)
- Certified Remote Pilot (Drone operator): Certificate #4854398 (2023)