ORTHOPHOTOMAP OF THE PLACE OF A ROAD ACCIDENT AS A PROCEDURAL SOURCE OF EVIDENCE IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the issue of improving the work of investigative units in inspecting the scene of a road accident by introducing and applying a new procedural method of obtaining evidence. In order to record evidence that can be used for analysis and visualization in court, it is proposed to perform filming at the scene of a road accident using an unmanned aerial vehicle. The grounds are described, if available, from a legal point of view, orthophotos have the same evidentiary value as materials from traditional ground photography. Since aerial filming of a road accident is necessarily carried out using airspace, the work has formed certain requirements for the unmanned aerial vehicle used for filming and the forensic specialist, in particular, this concerns flight tasks, equipment registration, verification of the unmanned aerial vehicle by the Central Executive Body, certification of operators, etc. It is noted that the accident scene inspection report should include the following information (including the model, serial number, and individual characteristics of the memory card on which the files will be stored). The flight altitude above the accident scene deserves special attention, as it is selected taking into account the boundaries of the accident scene, the width of the roadway, and the technical capabilities of the imaging equipment of a specific model of unmanned aerial vehicle.The orthophotograph obtained using an unmanned aerial vehicle must be an appendix to the accident scene inspection report and, in accordance with Article 105 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, must be properly produced, packaged for safekeeping, and certified by the signatures of the investigator, prosecutor, specialist, and other persons who participated in its production. It should be noted that electronic evidence (electronic documents) may be attached to the case file on any medium intended for storing electronic evidence. Therefore, ensuring transparency in the procedure for inspecting a road accident scene using an unmanned aerial vehicle will help increase public trust in law enforcement agencies and improve the work of investigative units in obtaining reliable evidence.