Hawkins welcomes RTC Investigator Craig Arnold

Hawkins is delighted to welcome Craig Arnold as a Senior Associate and Forensic Collision Investigator, based in our Manchester office. Craig brings two decades of experience in road traffic collision investigation, gained through extensive work both in the UK and internationally. 

Craig is a Chartered Forensic Practitioner in Collision Investigation, with casework experience across South America, Africa, and Europe. His academic background includes an MSc focused on road safety and doctoral research exploring the use of big data and machine learning to reduce road collisions. 

Before joining Hawkins, Craig served as Technical Lead for the Forensic Investigations team at the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL). In this role, he led forensic collision investigation projects for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and contributed to a wide range of research and operational work in transport safety. 

Craig is also a highly skilled digital data specialist, with advanced qualifications in forensic video analysis and digital evidence. He is a Level Four LEVA Certified Forensic Video Technician (CFTV) and has significant experience in video enhancement, comparison, and audio analysis. His expertise spans a broad range of digital data sources, including tachographs, event data recorders, accelerometers, telematics, connected & autonomous vehicle (CAV) systems.  

An experienced expert witness, Craig has prepared reconstruction reports, joint expert statements, and has acted as a Single Joint Expert (SJE). He has provided evidence in Criminal, Civil, and Coroner’s courts, as well as at Public Inquiries. While his current practice primarily focuses on civil litigation, he continues to accept instructions in criminal cases. 

Alongside his investigative work, Craig serves as the Honorary Secretary for the Chartered Society of Forensic Science. He also sits on the editorial board of Elsevier’s Science & Justice journal and is a peer reviewer for both the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and Elsevier. In addition, he regularly supports the Law Enforcement and Emergency Services Video Association (LEVA) as a subject matter expert on speed analysis. 

We are excited to welcome Craig to Hawkins and look forward to the expertise and leadership he will bring to our Road Traffic Collision team.