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New Tech Will Help Jackson County, Mich., Investigate Crashes

A $10,528 grant from AAA will help the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office purchase a drone and other technology to better investigate traffic accidents. Officials hope it will speed up investigations and reopen roads quicker.

(TNS) — A grant from AAA will be used to help police in Jackson County investigate crashes quicker.

The $10,528 grant funded the purchase of digital cameras, a drone for photographic evidence, battery-operated LED lights to replace traditional flares and more equipment, Jackson County Sheriff Steve Rand announced.

“The hope is that utilizing these items will move the process of accident investigation faster and limit the number of secondary accidents,” Rand said. “Lengthy road closings are both dangerous to motorists and detrimental to commerce.”

The grant was obtained by the sheriff’s office, Michigan State Police and Blackman-Leoni Public Safety, Rand said.

“We are very thankful to AAA for supporting this effort to purchase items that would otherwise be out of reach for us due to costs,” Rand said.

The AAA Traffic Safety Grant program has issued nearly $1.5 million since 1993, according to a AAA press release.

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