Isabel Mascareñas

WTSP-TV, Tampa-St. Petersburg

BRADENTON, Fla. — Getting caught in a traffic tie-up after an accident was the inspiration Carl Cannova needed to invent a device to stem the typical gawking by other motorists.

"A moment of getting frustrated with rubbernecking," Cannova said.

About four years ago, Cannova started working on a portable screening device for law enforcement designed to thwart drivers' penchant for wanting to see an accident scene.

The SRN 1000 privacy, safety and security barrier system comes in a portable bag, three tripods unfold, weather-resistant screens are added. "

We've had these in winds of 30 miles per hour," Cannova said.

Turrets help adjust the position on a 6-foot-by-12-foot screen to use at accident scenes.

"It's easy to put up easy to put away done quickly," said Sarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino. She was so impressed with Cannova's system she bought two for her department at $2,299 each.

"What this does is protect the victim in these cases more than anything allows traffic to flow a lot smoother," said DiPino.

Cannova added, "Keeps people from taking pictures putting on Facebook and Twitter."

But would the barriers alone act as a distraction for drivers?

"You can't see anything; you can't begin to pay attention to what's going on," DiPino said.

Law enforcement agencies are using the screen at crime scenes, too. In April, Manatee sheriff's deputies used the barriers to block the view of a bank robbery suspect who shot and killed himself during a shootout with deputies.

"(The device) allows crime scene investigators to take their time, not rush want to clear out," DiPino said.

The Manatee Sheriff's Office also used the SRN 1000 at a public hearing to protect a witness' identity.

He said the next design phase will including adding a rooftop so no one can look in from up above.

Cannova says more than a dozen law enforcement agencies in Florida, as well as medical coroners, hospitals, airports, hotels and even movie sets use his system. He said the SRN 1000 is being used in 20 states with more than 400 sold.

"It gives me chills I did something useful," he said.