Nasty crash in my hood.....

[powdahound76]

This happened yesterday afternoon. Curious to get the final count on how many perished and the injuries of survivors.

Got a couple calls from friends from work but they didnt call us in. Not enough patients transported it seems.

Semi-truck driver, 23, arrested after 4 people are killed in fiery crash involving 28 vehicles on Colorado freeway

At least four people died Thursday when a semitrailer plowed into stationary traffic that resulted in explosions and flames on a Colorado freeway, authorities said.

www.foxnews.com

 

[2ndamendfan]

Geez that is a bad one.

 

[powdahound76]

Will update news details as I see them.

 

[THEIS]

Hi,

IF this video is legit...Trucking company is going to have a super bad day....

https://kdvr.com/2019/04/25/video-s...-stopped-cars-moments-before-i-70-crash-fire/

Sincerely,
Theis

 

[powdahound76]

Last big rig wreck I took care of patients from in almost the same area was an 18 wheeler driver looking at his phone coming into a construction area where cars had all slowed down.

All lived and made an almost miraculous recovery. Stabilzing and flying a 5 and 7 yr old out in a big darn hurry is a rough day......

Sounds like it probably is true.

Problem is, these truckers have no idea how to drive in the mountains.
Having ran 30+ miles of mountain freeway as volunteer fireman, I put out a lot of brake fires on these rigs. Some we got to small. Some the whole thing was going and tanks had opened and all the fuel was going.
One was a reefer full of Stoffers (sp) frozen entree dinners. All on fire. Frozen to crispy in 3 minutes.....

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

This is what happens when you just need warm bodys

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

Hi,

IF this video is legit...Trucking company is going to have a super bad day....

https://kdvr.com/2019/04/25/video-s...-stopped-cars-moments-before-i-70-crash-fire/

Sincerely,
Theis

HOLY HELL!! Dude was in a hurry.

 

[powdahound76]

This is about 1.5-2 miles from the bottom of “the big hill” out of the mtns into Denver metro.

No time at all to cool down brakes too hot to work.

Reports that one or more axles were showing flames while he was rolling.

About a month ago coming down from skiing with the whole family some jack wagon with a side dump rock hauler was rolling 65+ mph all loaded up down this hill where big rigs are limited to 35 mph (easy done with smart driving).

I hauled butt and got around him and took an early exit to get out of his way. Didnt want to be right behind him either......
Momma knew of some of the stuff I have worked on from this exact thing and was trusting of my decisions.

Ugh.

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

If he was any kind of a driver (assuming none med issue)he would have rolled it before hitting others,...

 

[Maggot]

I used to enjoy driving the interstates. Roll her up to speed, set the cruise, kick back, relax, and quiet time for thinking.

Now thers so much traffic, everyones so distracted, and angry, I almost hate to leave the house.

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

I used to enjoy driving the interstates. Roll her up to speed, set the cruise, kick back, relax, and quiet time for thinking.

Now thers so much traffic, everyones so distracted, and angry, I almost hate to leave the house.

Same here. Use to love to go to Hardrock an shoot. Would leave at 0230-0300, as it's 153 miles of 2 lane. After seeing all the crashes from drunks/dope, help pulling dead people, almost being in a few, then being hit an rolled 3-5 time over coming home once in broad daylight, I took that as a sign from God to stop. I hate being late to anything, an always wanted to be at HR long prior to the safety brief. I love shooting at HR but it's not worth another truck or worst.

 

[W54/XM-388]

Driving would be great without all the people on the road these days.

One of the most scary things here is when you are cruising at highway speed and then abruptly traffic comes to a complete stop (because some idiot couldn't change lanes at the last moment or some BS like that). If you are the last one on the line, you are really saying your prayers that the idiots driving the Suburban Assault Vehicles look up from their makeup job long enough to put on the brakes before rear ending you at 70mph.

Other drivers think I'm a bit of an ass sometimes, but if I see the traffic coming to a complete stop, I'll start slowing down way ahead to try to force everyone behind me to have time to put on their brakes and not slam into the back of me.

Yes you'll see some folks go swerving around people going 15+ over the speed limit to get ahead when if you look a bit down the road, you can see traffic at a dead stop like half a mile ahead and then cue the locking up of brakes at the last moment and sliding into the shoulder (if there is one).

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

I was in Huntsville, the streets were icy an it was a down hill grade. Light was red, I'm slowing down way back, asshole is flying up behind me, I move onto the sidewalk, asshole hit's small car drives 3 of them into each other. First an second cars hit get out an start yelling at me because I went up on the sidewalk to keep from getting hit. They wanted the asshole to hit me first because I was driving a heavy service truck. Law arrives and they tell blue boy the story, he starts laughing an said if they had suspected anything to began with, they would not be needing a body shop like me.

 

[footsteps]

I'm guessing the driver of the rig lost his breaks... Hopefully those in the car died instantly, did not suffer .

 

[Geno C.]

They piled up 141 cars about 50 miles from me a little over a month ago. I put on a lot of miles and have seen a lot of crazy shit on the road! It’s getting worse every year

 

[Dewey7271]

Wish they’d make a cell where text and email won’t work if you’re moving. That’d stop a bunch.

 

[Rthur]

This is what happens when you just need warm bodys

See it on 55 everyday.
They can't handle a rig on flat ground, wind and mountains equals the above.

R

 

[W54/XM-388]

I'm guessing the driver of the rig lost his breaks... Hopefully those in the car died instantly, did not suffer .

If you loose your brakes, and were at all paying attention, you might be able to find a way not to plow into other cars & kill people.

 

[W54/XM-388]

Wish they’d make a cell where text and email won’t work if you’re moving. That’d stop a bunch.

They do have that service if you want to enable it with an app.
I'd NEVER have a phone that uses that, If I NEED (not want) to make a call, I'm going to make one, especially if it's an emergency. (So long as it's safe in my opinion to do so). But on a daily basis, I can talk hands free on the phone and possibly be more attentive and less likely to loose focus while driving. Texting however, that is scary unless you are doing it hands free.

 

[Dewey7271]

Yeah, I have no issue with calls. Texting and email are a whole different deal.

 

[2ndamendfan]

charges coming.

Denver multi-car crash: 4 dead, driver of semi faces vehicular homicide

 

[Sean the Nailer]

I know I've read too many books, and seen too many movies. The whole concept of "suicide trucker" is just simply appalling.

 

[powdahound76]

Had a guy lose his brakes once up in the mtns. Full load of asphalt.

He left the road, jumped the creek but came up short. Augured his tractor into the creek bank and his trailer and all that asphalt came forward and obliterated the driver and tractor. Spent many hours with shovels and sifters looking for human tissue......

80k lbs at 90+ mph is a lot of energy.

He did not hurt anyone else though. Kudos to him for that.

Pretty sure he had his CDL for about a month prior. Not the guy to be driving that load in the mtns.
But all the FSA just sit around and collect while we import crappy help, Legal or otherwise.

 

[Maxduty]

Wish they’d make a cell where text and email won’t work if you’re moving. That’d stop a bunch.

I'm waiting for the .gov to mandate Faraday cages in all cars. People texting on phones while driving when it's illegal proves that no matter what law you create, people will disregard it.

 

[Keel Haul]

70 and the above overpass probably won’t be back in service until tomorrow at the earliest.

 

[Foul Mike]

That is a bad area for trucks coming off the hill with their brakes HOT.
There is one downhill runaway emergency type shutdown area several miles uphill from there but nothing down below of that and this incident shows there is an obvious need for at least one if not two runaway truck ramps below what is there now, like in the C470 exit to 6th Ave. exit area.
It is ALL downhill from the existing runaway ramp clear down to the bottom where I-70 curves right at the bottom near Ward Rd. and a lot of it is steep.
This incident took place roughly half way in the middle of the area I described. Quite a few miles.
It is not uncommon to smell hot brakes as you come from C470 onto I-70 heading north and know whomever has the hot brakes is just along for the ride and stay the fuck out of their way.
I look at this as a big failure by CDOT from years passed not looking ahead but in the past, before all of this horrible growth we have had, that one ramp was enough and there was not anywhere near the traffic we have now and no where near the traffic to have to dodge that a trucker couldn't move around a bit as their brakes cooled.
Things have changed big time and CDOT Engineering didn't change with them. Shame on them.
I have hauled many loads over that exact same route with no problems but I grew up here and know to respect those long downhills and save your brakes. Others don't and the runouts were not in place but should have been.
I saw it coming as well as others but CDOT sat on their Royal Engineering Nuts and waited to see what would happen.
Well, it happened. Is your study done now? Are you happy?
What I and others failed to see, Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder did.. Rant over, FM
I have a dog in this fight that has been going on for years.

 

[FS1]

Somebody in trouble. Idiots are the only constant in the universe.

Semi-truck driver, 23, arrested after 4 people are killed in fiery crash involving 28 vehicles on Colorado freeway

At least four people died Thursday when a semitrailer plowed into stationary traffic that resulted in explosions and flames on a Colorado freeway, authorities said.

www.foxnews.com

 

[powdahound76]

Working on getting the video so I can put it up here showing dude WAY out of control coming around Dead Man’s curve just above the run away truck ramp the esteemed @Foul Mike mentioned.
Dude didnt even try to make the ramp though he was in the correct lane to.
Did almost run a pickup off the road though.

Many spots for him to abort and just take himself out.
Thats the other problem FM. Many places for that and no one takes that hard choice.

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

Wish they’d make a cell where text and email won’t work if you’re moving. That’d stop a bunch.

That tech has been around for many, many years. Back in the late 60's an early 70's we had what was called Radio telephone, which was the beginnings of today's cell's. They could do it then but soon discovered it cut into their pockets as you were charged by the useage minute. It's all money driven, an the main drivers are 13-17 year olds an soccer mom's, an that is fact.

 

[Foul Mike]

They have found enough video footage that shows this Spanish speaking Speedy Gonzalez sailing right by the runaway truck ramp on his way to the Inferno to make me think you need to read and understand signage that identifies runaway truck ramps or not be out there in a big rig driving if you can't. Tolerance and Diversity? Too much for me. FM