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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