Chilling tales from the front line of the police force.

Warning: This story contains graphic content that many disturb some people.

Picking up body parts at fatal car crashes and the responsibility of informing the deceased's next-of-kin are jobs no police officer wants, Sergeant Pat Duffy says.

"Unfortunately it is one of those jobs that has to be done.

MATT SHAND Police at the scene of a crash on State Highway 5 heading into to Taupo in May.

"No one likes them, no one wants to go to them."

Duffy, who has served 31 years in the force, including three years in charge of Taranaki's Traffic and Alcohol Group, says nobody enjoyed attending fatal accident scenes or dealing with the aftermath.

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ANDY JACKSON/Fairfax NZ Sergeant Pat Duffy says he's seen hard nosed police officers throwing up after witnessing the carnage at fatal accident sites.

"Literally body parts on the road or in the car from the same accident scene, just total devastation. The person that was once intact is no longer intact and we have to find all of those parts."

The carnage could take its toll on officers, he says.

"I've seen some hard nosed policemen throwing up at some of the scenes that we have been at.

Jonathan Cameron Emergency services work at the scene of a double fatality near Normanby.

"You just have to try and keep it together because there's a job that has to be done and others are doing their thing, you have to do your thing."

One accident that has always stuck in Duffy's mind was a crash involving a couple and a baby that was sitting unrestrained on its mother's lap.

"We didn't know about the baby initially, we were dealing with the mum and the dad trying to keep them alive."

Andy Jackson/Fairfax NZ Police work at the scene of a head-on collision that killed two woman on SH3, just north of Bell Block.

He says a feeling of shock and horror came over staff upon hearing there had been a baby in the car.

"We didn't know where it was.

"Unfortunately we found that baby in the glove box, the impact had thrown it into the glove box.

Andy Jackson Police at the scene where two pedestrians were hit and killed near the North Taranaki settlement of Tongaporutu.

"That one was particularly hard."

He says crash sites were treated as crime scenes.

"We need to secure it and we need to shut the road off until we can establish how it happened."

ANDY JACKSON/Fairfax NZ Police photograph the carnage at a three vehicle crash at the corner of De Havilland Dr and SH3 North of Bell Block. Five people were taken to hospital in a serious condition.

Police officers assist paramedics and firefighters where they can, it's a high pressure environment where saving lives depended on team work, Duffy says.

"Everyone is just trying to help out those that are alive and injured.

"It would be fair to say there would be a decent amount of adrenaline flow going on and lots of things going through your mind, remembering what to do to keep them safe and alive."

To cope with the horrific sights they encountered sometimes police relied on black humour as a release.

"Without wanting to sound disrespectful to any of the families that are involved or their friends, unfortunately sometimes the black humour is a good coping mechanism.

"There might well be the poor taste joke that might be thrown in as well just to lighten the moment because it's a bit of a grim task at times."

Duffy says it's hard to explain to the uninitiated why the method worked.

"Having to pick up pieces of a person who was once alive, it's not a position people would find themselves in very often but all too sadly we do."

Informing the deceased's next-of-kin, which could weigh heavily on officers' minds, was no joking matter however.

"Often you have been to the scene so you have seen sights you wouldn't wish upon anyone.

"How do you go and tell someone that their loved one isn't coming home again, ever.

"That would have to be the hardest job in the policing job ever."

Duffy says he has had people collapse, devastated by the news while it took longer for reality to sink in with others.

"It's often the worst news that they will ever hear in their lifetime."

This summer Duffy is urging motorists to drive to the conditions, watch their speed, don't drive drunk, wear seatbelts and not use cellphones.

"It's not your driving you have got to worry about all of the time, it's other people out there too and some of them can make really bad choices."

One death was one too many and Duffy is aware police will again hear motorists complain about revenue gathering but it doesn't bother him.

"It doesn't annoy you but they just don't see the bigger picture, what we are doing is trying to stop people from wiping themselves off the face of the earth and that's not easy."