Opinion ID: 2411770
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: accident reconstruction expert

Text: Kentucky State Police Trooper Robbie Atherton testified as an expert on accident reconstruction. Appellant claims Atherton was not qualified. Appellant argues Atherton's education was limited to a seven week training course, he had no special skill in physics or math, and he simply took numbers, put them in a formula, and used a calculator to come to a result. The Commonwealth responds that this training course was at the Institute of Police Technology and Management in Jacksonville, Florida, and is augmented by thirteen years experience in the Kentucky State Police; that such training and experience provided sufficient grounds for the trial court, in its discretion, to permit Atherton to testify as an expert. In Noron v. Gordon Food, Inc., 458 F.2d 1071 (6th Cir.1972), the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld limited use of police officers with special training to testify from physical evidence about the speed of vehicles and point of impact, with the caveat that the conclusions must be based on physical facts and not on assumptions. We have followed the same rule, and believe it applies here. The initial decision as to whether a witness is a qualified expert and the limits of his expertise are matters within the sound discretion of the trial court. Commonwealth v. Craig, Ky., 783 S.W.2d 387, 388 (1990). The trial court did not abuse its discretion.