MSC of MS Hires New Forensic Science Intern

Kelly Messerschmidt
Technical Communications Manager
Messerschmidt Safety Consultants

MSC of Mississippi is pleased to announce the hiring of Jarrod Smith as a new forensic science intern. Jarrod is a senior at The University of Southern Mississippi studying forensic science and physics. During his internship with MSC, Jarrod will earn college credit while serving as a technical assistant. Jarrod’s training in forensic science, physics, and mathematics will allow him to be an asset to MSC throughout his internship.

MSC of MS brought Jarrod on board by way of an existing partnership with the forensic science department at The University of Southern Mississippi. The Forensic Science Program at Southern Miss, led by Dr. Dean Bertram, is one of the top programs in the country. Once part of the Polymer Science Program at Southern Miss, the Forensic Science Program has quickly expanded over the last decade to become a prominent part of the university’s College of Science and Technology. In addition to hosting the International Forensic Science Academy, Southern Miss’ forensics department is constantly engaged in cutting-edge research and development.

Prior to his joining MSC of Mississippi as a forensic science intern, Jarrod had just returned from a class trip to Washington, D.C., where he visited the Central Intelligence Agency, the Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Capitol Police.

EDR (Black Box) Data Retrieval

MSC is an industry leader in Heavy Vehicle Event Data Recorder (HVEDR) technology. Our employees have authored peer-reviewed research, developed software tools, and performed HVEDR downloads and analysis from New York to California.

Along with our experience with HVEDRs, MSC has been actively involved in using the Crash Data Retrieval Tool (CDR Tool), which can access up to 25 seconds of valuable pre-crash event data in passenger cars. CDR Tool version 3.5 currently supports Event Data collection from many General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Isuzu, and Mitsubishi vehicles.

The event data that are downloaded—such as brake circuit status, airbag deployment status, seatbelt use status, wheel speed, engine RPM, longitudinal and lateral acceleration, and so on—depend on the type of passenger car. View a comprehensive vehicle coverage list.

MSC’s staff has a great deal of experience with the preservation and analysis of these data.

Benjamin Smith received Bosch-certified CDR training from the Collision Safety Institute in San Diego, CA. Having carried out hundreds of crash investigations, Ben has performed over 300 CDR downloads.

While serving as a crash investigator for a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) contractor, Kevin Jones received his CDR training directly from employees of NHTSA, the National Automotive Sampling System, and the US DOT Traffic Safety Institute. He performed over 300 CDR downloads as part of that NHTSA contract.

Bill Messerschmidt received Bosch-certified CDR training through the Collision Safety Institute in San Diego, CA. Bill has participated in CDR validation testing with W. Rusty Haight and was an invited speaker at the First and Second Annual Crash Data Retrieval Tool Conferences. Bill is one of only two individuals to have authored peer-reviewed research on both heavy vehicle and passenger vehicle EDRs.

When handled properly and interpreted correctly, “black box” data from both passenger cars and heavy vehicles can provide invaluable clues about crash-causation and mishap prevention.

MSC Expands to Mississippi

On Monday, August 16, MSC opened its doors in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Our new office--pictured above--is located at 518 Main Street in the revitalized downtown area of the Hub City. The new office will be managed by Ben Smith, a Hattiesburg resident and USM alumnus.

Read the text of our press release below, or check it out in the Birmingham Business Journal or the Mississippi Business Journal.

Messerschmidt Safety Consultants (MSC), a provider of traffic safety and forensic analysis based in Birmingham, Ala., announced today it opened an office in Hattiesburg, Miss., to serve the growing demand for MSC’s accident reconstruction and forensic analysis services. The Hattiesburg office expands MSC’s ability to offer local support services to its growing base of clients in the region. This is the second office location for MSC.

"We have seen significant growth in inquiries for our technical expertise and analysis," said William Messerschmidt, founder and principal technical analyst, MSC. "Our transportation, legal and insurance industry clients in the Florida Panhandle, New Orleans, La., Jackson, Miss., and Mobile, Ala., are experiencing an increase in their need for accident analysis and accident prevention services. To support their efforts, we are expanding our local resources. The Hattiesburg office will deliver superior support to our clients.”

The new Hattiesburg office will be owned and operated by Mississippi-based management and will be located at:

518 Main Street, Suite 202, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39401

“We chose Hattiesburg because it is a vibrant community with a commitment to both arts and sciences,” said Messerschmidt. “We seek to draw on the locally available talent to employ professionals, scientists and support staff focused on consulting, research and product development.”

All of us at MSC want to thank our clients (and our professional vendors) who have made the launch of our new office possible!