ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Some heartbroken families look for quick answers after one of their loved ones is killed in a crash, but the investigation afterward can take awhile to process, according to Florida Highway Patrol.
Derek and Deanna Miner, the parents of 18-year-old Nick Miner, said they feel like just another number.
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Nick Miner was killed in a crash back in October, and his parents are still waiting for answers.
The family received a letter from FHP, which said that state troopers will help them understand traffic crash procedures and approximate timetables of Nick’s case during the investigation.
Now, though, the Miner family does not believe FHP followed through.
“I understand how frustrating it can be when we don’t see it happen right away,” Lt. Channing Taylor said.
Taylor works with FHP in the Traffic Homicide Division. He said he understands, but fatal crash investigations take time.
“They’re not a number. They mean a lot to us,” Taylor said. “The worst part of the job is when you have to go in the middle of the night and tell somebody that their family member is not coming home.”
He said more goes into an investigation than people realize.
“When you’re dealing with events that could possibly involve imprisonment, you’re taking somebody’s freedom away. That’s important,” Taylor said.
He said what’s most important to state troopers is getting the facts.
“We have to be able to prove everything we say,” Taylor said.
Taylor said that FHP has to consider each party’s rights.
“The suspects have rights. The victims have rights, as well,” he said.
He added that investigations can sometimes take up to a year to complete.
“We’re just inundated. We have so many hit-and-run crashes and so many fatal death investigations. The FDLE crime lab goes as fast as they possibly can,” Taylor said.
News 6 received crash report data from FHP that shows there have been 641 fatal crashes in Central Florida this year between Jan. 1 and Dec. 8.
Of those crashes, 178 were in Orange County.
“Our investigators are carrying very large caseloads,” Taylor said.
Taylor said that the bottom line is that investigators can’t jump the gun and sacrifice quality when it comes to investigations. He said FHP feels the pain of the families, but troopers must complete the job fairly.
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