While this is not realy in line with the content of this thread, I
seen a diesel get stopped this past Wednesday......Driver lost it in
a very hard flat turn going well over the speed limit, trailer got
into the ditch, tractor stayed on the road itself, both started to
slide sideways and then both roller over on their side. From the time
the trailer and tractor rolled over (you could tell exactly where the
trailer side was against the roadbed as it melted the reflector of the
sidemarker into the blacktop) it still traveled better than 240 feet
on its side with the tractor leading the tanker trailer, until the
cab and hood of the tractor was sheared off by a brand new power pole,
which eventually came to rest at the backwall of the sleeper. The
drivers head was between the sleeper wall and the power pole. The
driver only lasted another 3 or 4 minutes after the rig came to a
stop. Not much I could do for him, except watch him die. Lost his
pulse and could not detect it in wrist or neck and his eyes did not
have any reflex action when I touched his eyeball. Could not do any
CPR because there was no way to really get to him to do it. The truck
kept flameing up with hot oil and diesel fuel running on to the
turbocharger and manifold (CAT diesel powered) which was in a Big
long nosed Peterbuilt Tractor) so I had my hands full trying to see
what I could do for the driver, and trying to keep the fire out
without a fire extinguisher. LOts of folks stopped and then drove off,
not a darn person offered to help or lend a hand. Finally a lady came
over and ran for an extinguisher and towels etc. She lived in the
middle of that turn and was just accross the street checking her mail
when he crashed. She was horror struck and she was apparently stuned
by what just happened about 50 feet from where she was standing. She
managed to pee all over herself, but once she regaied composure of
herself she was terriffic at helping do what she could do. She ran and
fetched a fire extinguisher from her house and brought it back, but
would not come over to the truck as she was deathfully afraid of
seeing an accident victim.
Took over 25 minutes for paramedics to get there from 8 miles away, 49
minutes for any law enforcement officer to show, and almost and hour
and a half for any fire trucks that came from 12 miles away. Hazmat
team took over 4 1/2 hours to get on scene from 18 miles away. Up to
that point I was still the only one that had gone over to the driver,
as everyone else refused to attend to him (already dead) because of
the contents in the tanker trailer (some kind of acid) which was
leaking and running out on the ground and foaming all up. So it was
over 4 1/2 hours until someone else went over and said, yep he is
dead, they took my word that he had died, and who the hell am I, I am
not a certified medical tech or coroner. Truly pathetic rescue and
emergency response from this area. Totally unbelieveable. Entire road
was eventualy shut down for over 14 hours until they cleaned up the
mess. It happened about 1/4 mile up the road from my house and I was
behind him, when it happened. I had to wait for him to pass by my
driveway so I could pull out, and saw the whole 9 yards unfold. I had
a feeling he was going to loose it in the turn due to his rate of
speed and no signs of his brake lights that he was attempting to slow
it down. Unreal and hard to fathom, how a trucker could not see the
sign thats posted with a hard curve and 35 MPH speed limit posted. ON
the straightaway the speed is 55, down to 45 and then 35 for the turn.
He was gong better than 80 mph from what they figured when he entered
the turn.
But laying a diesel on its side and hitting a pole will stop one just
fine! (added to keep post on topic )
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Roy aka Chipmaker // Foxeye
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