John Kolter is the Sergeant of the California Highway Patrol’s Central Division Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT). He has served with the CHP for over 25 years, starting as an officer in West Los Angeles. He has earned certifications from the Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstructionists (ACTAR) and the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence. Before his time with the California Highway Patrol, he worked as an automotive technician for 10 years, bringing his expertise as a heavy truck technician and master automobile technician to his current position.

In this episode…

For the California Highway Patrol, crash prevention is the number one priority. However, if a crash cannot be prevented, then it needs to be explained. The MAIT program, which stands for Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team, is designed to reconstruct and provide answers for major crashes. Since their inception in 1978, the program has seen incredible growth in both technology and procedure. Now more than ever, they are able to give closure to the victims, insurance agencies, and the government. So how have they improved and what does that look like in practice?

John Kolter has been with the California Highway Patrol, and later MAIT, since 1996. Coming from a background as an automobile technician, he has been able to apply his expertise to a comprehensive view of crash reconstruction. He is now the Sergeant and team leader of Central Division MAIT, leading a diverse team to better understand the procedures for analysis and prevention of crashes. 

John Grindey and John Steiner host John Kolter, the Sergeant of the California Highway Patrol Central Division MAIT, to talk about crash reconstruction and the latest developments in the field. The three discuss a host of topics, from drone technology to speed calculation to Berla data and more. They also dive into how MAIT has changed and grown over the past 40 years. Tune in for all of this and more on this episode of the Highway Tech Show.