Dumb Fatal Mistakes
Posted on Nov 16, 2009 - 5:51pm by Linda Sunkle-Pierucki in Trucking
There was a fatal under-ride accident up here in Michigan over the week-end. A seventeen year old girl hit the back of a stopped truck on I-94. A beautiful high school senior who had recently gotten her license lost her life around midnight because of a series of stupid mistakes. One of those mistakes was obviously hers alone: she was text-messaging!
The first mistake however, had nothing to do with this young girl. A few hours earlier, someone had a flat tire. And stopped. In the passing lane! Oh, the motorist turned on her flashers, all right . . .that probably kept anyone from hitting her directly. Instead, it caused a three-car chain-reaction wreck that sent three people to the hospital – none of them her. The ensuing mess closed the highway down until all the emergency vehicles were gone and the mess cleared. That’s why the truck was stopped on the highway. Traffic was just beginning to move again when the seventeen-year-old came flying up the fast lane, enjoying her new-found freedom and texting her friends to tell them she’d be there soon.
There was no warning policeman stationed ahead on the highway to alert travelers of trouble ahead, according to witnesses. That might have gotten her attention. But, she didn’t have her eyes on the road. No one will ever know of she ever saw the truck. She never hit the brakes. She hit the truck going at least 60mph. The Life-Flight helicopter was canceled before it arrived: it was obvious they wouldn’t be needed.
There’s a lot of blame to go around here. Obviously, a young kid texting her friends is directly to blame for her own death. You have to wonder, though, why there was no police car stationed back up the road to slow traffic before they came upon the back-up suddenly. True, people are supposed to be alert to traffic conditions and road conditions ahead. But, lets face it . . .many aren’t. So we have to look out for those too self-absorbed and too stupid to take care of themselves. Something about those flashing lights get the attention of the most inattentive. This fiasco shows just how important they are. I can only hope the local police dept remembers this and send someone out next time.
But, just as stupid and senseless is the woman who decided she needed to stop in the middle of the highway because of a flat tire! Who gave this turkey a drivers license without teaching her some of the most basic of safety rules? I’ve seen this variety of stupid so many times I’m starting to believe there’s a misprint in the Drivers Education Handbook! Now, I was born broke, lived broke and I’ll likely die broke. I’ve had more than my share of flat tires over the years. Most people’s sidewalls always said Goodyear . . .mine for many years said MayPop. Many of them DID pop. And yet, not one of those times was I unable to make it to the RIGHT side of the road to stop safely! Breakdown lane – its the right shoulder! Unless the entire wheel falls off, you can steer to the right side of the road!
Usually, the male of the species knows enough to head for the side of the road. However, they no longer appear to notice that the inside shoulder is only a couple of feet wide – not nearly wide enough to get safely off the traveled portion of the roadway and certainly no room to change a tire! So highway travelers are always having to circumnavigate some group of fuzz-brained punks who are partway in the road because they have a flat tire! I see so much of this that I’m beginning to believe they’re teaching these people to do this! What is it about having a flat tire that makes these people lose every bit of common sense and the instinct for self-preservation? Personally, I believe it should be a ticket-able offense. It’s certainly a safety hazard.
If you’ve got kids, younger brothers and sisters or even Aunt Tillie who tends to be something of an airhead, please . . . make this your personal mission! Teach them NOT to text-message while driving, certainly. But also teach them what to do it they get a flat tire . . .drive on the damned thing until they can get to the right shoulder!
Okay – I’ll get off the soapbox now. . .
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Now consider the plight of the poor heavy hauler. There he is….driving down the granny lane with a load that’s……fourteen foot wide.
Ahead on the skinny shoulder is a car with a flat tire.
Franticly he puts on his turn signals….desperately ASKING…PLEADING to be let over….(I’m talking to YOU…dryvan drivers)
………..does anyone listen?
Nope….gotta stop or almost stop. And risk getting rear ended.
Honestly, with all the mistakes you pointed out that happened to have this fatal accident. It comes back to this and it is something I have told my son’s and family. It is the fact that driving anything on the road isn’t a right it is a responsibility. Whether is it a Semi truck or a small car it can cause injury and sometimes death. You need to have your attention on the road, not off somewhere else, be aware of weather, traffic patterns, and following distance.
Also be aware if you are not in the condition to even be behind the wheel of a vehicle. Sadly this sort of unaware thing happens often. Including what happened in my own town two weeks ago, when an older lady got her brake and gas peddle mixed up. Slamming her into a beauty salon, killing one customer. So like what Everitt touched on don’t be in a hurry to get there, but be aware.
This talks about stopping in the middle of the road, but people don’t know how dangerous stopping on the shoulder is. You see cop dashcam footage of drivers hitting cops on the side of the road and they have flashing lights going.
I always see people on the shoulder changing drivers. People walk halfway into the right lane like it’s a sidewalk. Cars can pull over anywhere and they choose the most dangerous place (okay, maybe the second most dangerous) to pullover? I feel like stopping and yelling – Pull your head out and think! Don’t wait to be told with another stupid sign.
Great post Linda. Couldn’t agree more.
There are alot of distractions out there outside of texting and yet everyday we see an accident, or life taken, caused by someone on the cell phone or texting. Recent data suggests that texting while driving is just as dangerous as having a .08 alcohol level. JUST DON’T DO IT!
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I am not a 18 wheeler truck driver, my Husband was. He was recently “downsized laid off” from a company who just sent around a pre Christmas announcement on how well the company was doing..ah yeah, okay! Anyhow, I often travelled with him in the 18 wheelers and I have seen some very incredible things people do along the way. Cell phones, lane hogs, the on and off ramps,cars with no indicators or drivers who do not know how to use them trucks who have a lane hog keeping them from lane changing to go around a Police Officer/State Trooper who is dealing with someone on the narrow shoulders. Oh how about this one..how about all the idiots on the road who will get in front of a fully loaded 18 wheeler and slow right down right in front of the truck expecting the trucker to slow his rig down to accomodate them (while they are on their cells usually) Just the size of a truck should be enough for these idiots to know slowing down takes time or worst bringing the truck to a stop takes alot of space and these trucks cannot stop on a dime either. Made me think these people must have a death wish or are plain STUPID!! These people should use public transportation for theirs and others safety!! I loved going trucking with my Husband, but it’s just awful out there. Definitely”NOT” for the weak of heart, for sure. And the pay was getting smaller as the hours were getting longer so that to is a strong incentive to hand in the keys. It really is a jungle out there. The companies do not back you, you have to deal with them and the customers who often times seem to have a real bad attitude..I could go on and on. But when this company actually installed spy cameras into all their trucks, you have to wonder why it’s there..wonder no more its to cover their BUTTS not the truckers. I foresee in the not so far off future alot of truckers walking away from their trucks and real drop in newcomers to fill the empty seats in these abandoned trucks. It’s all gotten so far out of hand. I have seen it from both sides, as a car driver and as an observant passenger in my Husbands truck, and I commend the ones who are able to tolerate all these changes in the industry 80% are for the benefit of the companies and maybe 10% for the drivers and Uncle Sam has to have his share to. God Bless all you still hauling and keep you all safe. Keep it between the lines.