Opinion ID: 1111241
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: scarborough's testimony

Text: Whittington attacks Scarborough's testimony, contending accident reconstruction evidence should not be allowed in criminal cases. Such opinions have been approved by this Court in civil cases. Hollingsworth v. Bovaird Supply Co., 465 So.2d 311, 313 (Miss. 1985). We find no reason to restrict such testimony to civil cases. See: New v. State, 714 P.2d 378 (Alaska App. 1986); State v. Passarelli, 130 Ariz. 360, 636 P.2d 138 (App. 1981); Brown v. State, 377 So.2d 1139 (Ala.Cr.App. 1979); State v. Golub, 24 Or. App. 19, 544 P.2d 609 (1976). See also Mississippi Rules of Evidence, Rules 702 and 704 and comments. Scarborough expressed two opinions, first that the tire mark at the edge of the pavement was an acceleration mark as opposed to a skid mark. He gave as the basis for this opinion a well-recognized method of determining how tire marks are made on pavement. No doubt many highway patrolmen are capable of examining tire marks such as this and reaching valid conclusions of the type of car movement which made them. The record does not reveal, however, any specific scientific or technical training or experience of Scarborough which qualified him as an expert on the speed the car was traveling as it went off the highway and down the embankment. It was therefore error for the circuit judge to permit Scarborough to express the opinion that the car was not going over sixteen miles per hour as it went off the highway. This was totally harmless, however, because the only purpose in expressing this opinion was to show the vehicle never left contact with the ground. Two officers testified positively to this fact from personal inspection of the tracks at the scene, and this testimony is undisputed.