Mr. Accardi is a collision investigation specialist with over forty years of experience. He was a municipal police officer for twenty-seven years in Oradell, NJ where his duties included assignments to the patrol division, the traffic safety division, and the detective division. During that time, he investigated countless motor vehicle collisions, as well as other criminal and non-criminal cases. He was also assigned to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit Task Force where he responded to investigate or assist with serious or fatal collisions in other municipalities within the county. Mr. Accardi has completed approximately 750 hours of formal accident investigation and reconstruction training.
Mr. Accardi concluded his thirty-four year law enforcement career by serving 7 years with the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office where he was assigned to the Major Crimes Squad. His duties included investigations of homicides, arsons, and fatal collisions. These duties involved on-scene investigations, as well as preparing the case for trial. Mr. Accardi has been qualified as an expert in collision investigations in both municipal and superior court.
As a homicide investigator, Mr. Accardi studied Forensic Anthropology at the University of Tennessee, where he gained extensive knowledge of bone fracture patterns, aging of bones, and wound/injury identification. He also studied human remains identification and clandestine grave recovery. Additionally, he worked with the University of Tennessee and the National Laboratory in Oak Ridge Tennessee to identify the decomposed body of a homicide victim from Hackensack, NJ that was located on Long Island. The defendant is currently serving a life sentence.
He has been employed at Klingen & Associates since 2013. His duties include scene investigations, 3D laser scanning, and Unmanned Aircraft Operations (Drone). Mr. Accardi is a former fixed wing and helicopter pilot. Mr. Accardi has an Associates Degree in Applied Science / Criminal Justice and has attained 90 credits towards a degree in nursing. He also conducts analysis of medical records and prepares scaled diagrams and/or a digital representation of collision scenes.
Mr. Accardi and his wife reside in Passaic County and enjoy spending time with his 7 grandchildren. He is a talented musician and plays guitar, piano, and drums and has been an active member of the Hawthorne Caballeros Drum & Bugle Corps for over 45 years.