Experts: Larger patrol vehicles can yield bigger blind spots

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Officer Andria Heese was driving a 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe when she struck and killed 4-year-old Gabriella Curry on Friday afternoon.

The crash report said Heese was driving onto a sidewalk at Battle High School, getting prepared to observe students load onto buses, when the incident occurred.

Troopers have not finished conducting their investigation into what exactly led up to the fatal accident, nor have they released any possible contributing circumstances.

ABC 17 News talked with Adam Duncan, a law enforcement training expert, who said larger patrol vehicles, such as a Tahoe, can yield larger blind spots, especially if the officer is shorter.

People familiar with Heese have said she is petite.

“(When) we get in more of an SUV that has a larger mirror, that’s great. But within about 5 or 6 feet in front of your vehicle, depending on the height of the officer, you can’t see what’s going on in front of you, behind you or on the passenger side. You can see on the driver’s side,” Duncan said.

Duncan said the trainers teach a variety of aspects of traffic control at the Law Enforcement Training Institute in Columbia.

Part of that training includes where officers place their patrol vehicles during certain traffic situations.

“I want to be able to park that vehicle some place that is easily accessible, right close to where I’m at, but not going to cause an additional traffic obstruction,” Duncan said.

Duncan said, however, that where an officer can and cannot park could be decided by the jurisdiction or municipality’s policies.

Ashland police said its school resource officer has a specific parking space at the school, but there isn’t a written policy as to where the officer can or can’t park their vehicle.

Boone County authorities said deputies don’t have a written policy as to where they can park. Parking depends on what the deputy responds to and where.

The Columbia Public School District released its parking policy for student pickup and drop-off at Battle High School, but the policy doesn’t mention where school resource officers park.

ABC 17 News has contacted the Columbia Police Department to find out its parking policies at schools, but hasn’t heard back.