Accidents on the NYC Highways?

When there's an accident on any of the NYC Highways like the BQE, what frequencies/users should I tune to? I notice there's a few frequencies designated as "Highway".

Typical NYPD's Traffic channel would be a good freq to tune into

SOD also puts MVAs (53s) over their air.

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I primarily catch the 10-53s on 470.83750, PL 136.5 , which is NYPD SOD. You can also catch them on 470.81250, PL 123.0, which is Highway.

SOD broadcast 53 "pin" jobs not run of the mill accidents.

In my opinion, I would monitor highway for accidents. SOD is loaded with crap usually, every edp that comes in for a precinct wil be assigned to an esu unit over SOD until they are cancelled by the precinct of concern. It's nonstop chatter and you eventually get so tired of listening to it that you'll take it out of the scan list.

KC2GSP said:

In my opinion, I would monitor highway for accidents. SOD is loaded with crap usually, every edp that comes in for a precinct wil be assigned to an esu unit over SOD until they are cancelled by the precinct of concern. It's nonstop chatter and you eventually get so tired of listening to it that you'll take it out of the scan list.

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There are a great many people who listen to SOD for the action. Sorry they don't provide you only the best calls on a private channel.

Getting the whole picture

I'd like to clarify some points noted above.

A collision occurring on a limited access roadway (such as the Brooklyn Queens Expressway) should be announced over the Traffic channels (470.8125 / 482.4625, 123.0), available airtime permitting, to allow for the appropriate Highway Patrol post to pick up the radio run. Should that post be unavailable and an adjoining post not pick up the run, the call will be routed to the appropriate radio zone for assignment of an available precinct sector to handle the event.

Therefore, in order to effectively monitor any given limited access roadway collision from start to finish, one would need to program in both Traffic and have available access to the correct Radio Zone, should the call be handed off.

Now, also as touched on above, monitoring SOD / SOD-SI could add an additional dimension to what is going on (after weeding through the...well, KC2GSP already said it) depending on the nature/severity of the collision, as well as the appropriate FDNY and FDNY*EMS channels - should their services be needed.

That is why in the Bronx accidents sit sometimes for hours with a minor fender bender on the Cross Bronx Expressway. The precinct guy takes his time when he finally gets the job and makes it a 2 hour masterpiece blocking the lane while Highway moves them off. The precinct unit is so pissed he is doing someone else's work that he doesn't worry about his own safety and sits there in the lane.

asnhnetwork said:

That is why in the Bronx accidents sit sometimes for hours with a minor fender bender on the Cross Bronx Expressway. The precinct guy takes his time when he finally gets the job and makes it a 2 hour masterpiece blocking the lane while Highway moves them off. The precinct unit is so pissed he is doing someone else's work that he doesn't worry about his own safety and sits there in the lane.

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So your an expert on the workings of an NYPD precinct which also happens to have a highway. Contrary to what the motoring public tend to believe 53 non injuries are not priorities. If most people who have minor property damage accident's would move to the shoulder and not wait for what they think will be an accident investigation their would be a lot less back ups.

26, you're right, idiot motorists stay put after a wreck under the mistaken presumption that the cop has to see what happened. The lack of a quick clearance law in New York State doesn't help matters. But asnh's point was that even AFTER the police arrive at a 10-53, the lane remains unnecessarily blocked by not only the vehicles involved in the original wreck, but now the RMP as well (my all time favorite is when the RMP is blocking a lane on the OPPOSITE direction of the MVA, so now traffic is messed up in both directions). I've witnessed it personally far too many times: wreck occurs -> idiot motorists who can move off the roadway leave the lane blocked -> police arrive -> police prepare report in the blocked lane, while traffic is either crippled with delays (rush hours) or sailing by them at highway speeds (overnights) -> cop finishes report -> cop hands back documents to motorists -> everybody drives off. Why??? If the cars were movable the entire time, why not take the DLs and escort them to the shoulder or, better still, off the highway at the next exit??

Exactly my point KC. I have family NYPD so I don't claim to be an expert. They are. I am not bashing NYPD but just relaying what was told to me in the past. 911 is not much better as they tell you to wait and listen to the recording before you hang up. I just don't want to see a Pct unit which is pissed that he is doing someone else's job get hurt by staying on the highway for no reason. It is something that should be taught in the academy for officer safety. It's only a job and not worth your life.

I always hated answering 53's on the highway. Cops pushing a sector are already bombarded with 15+ calls a shift on a good day (except the 50 PCT) to go out and handle a property damage accident on the highway really draws from PCT manpower since they are typically running the minimum 5 cars. One of my buddies made it to hwy not too long ago and from what he was told, he absolutely handled more 53's as a patrol cop than many of the mos assigned to hwy. There have been lawsuits in the past filed by PCT cops who were severely injured in rear end accidents on the highway because their vehicles werent equipped with the telescoping turret lights. (Rare but it has happened)

470.81250, PL 123.0, which is Highway Patrol

I hope Highway isn't still the dumping ground for problem officers as it was back in the 70,80,90's. I had a good friend get into a fight with a civi who broken his hand in the scuffle, and as soon as he got out of the hospital he was transfered to Highway 1 in the Bronx from a Queens Pct. As far as the turret lights, you can have the whole city of lights on a patrol car and someone will run into you. When I worked EMS it happened as we had a Volkswagon bug go up into the back of a Type I ambulance on the Mayors basement section of the FDR one night.