DPS suspends probe of minor parking lot crashes

By Matt Stephens
Updated: 06.14.10
The Texas Department of Public Safety is suspending the investigation of minor car collisions in parking lots in Montgomery County beginning July 1.

Now whenever minor wrecks occur in parking lots, it will be the motorists’ job to pick up a crash form, or CR-2 form, fill out the information and return it within 10 days.

DPS Trooper Erik Burse said the forms are required only if both parties have insurance, are not injured and are able to drive their cars away from the scene of the accident.

“If someone’s injured or doesn’t have insurance, it needs to be investigated,” Burse said.

The change in policy was made to ensure troopers focus their time on wrecks that occur on public roadways, which are more dangerous and require more attention. Roughly 30 percent of all accidents investigated in Montgomery County are minor crashes in parking lots, Burse said, and the new policy will help improve DPS response time on crashes that involve serious injuries or intoxicated drivers.

“If you have an accident while you’re driving home on Interstate 45 and get rear-ended at 65 mph, I might not be able to get to you because I’m responding to an accident in the Target parking lot,” he said.

Montgomery County was mandated by legislation to investigate all motor-vehicle crashes, including those that occur in parking lots. Burse said the information was brought to the state level in Austin, which allowed the county to adopt the new policy. Other areas in Texas have been allowed similar changes to the law, although Burse did not know the specific cities.

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Now when drivers call DPS regarding an accident, they will be asked the extent of the accident and their location to determine whether the crash needs to be investigated or the driver needs to pick up a crash report form.

The form can be picked up at any local law enforcement office or on the Department of Transportation’s website at www.dot.state.tx.us.