News Today: Bus Crushes Man

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Bus Crushes Man
PORT REPUBLIC, N.J. - July 10, 2007 - Police and medics are on the scene along the Garden State Parkway
after a bus came down on top of a man who was changing a tire.

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Let's all be a little more carefull when we change tires on our busses!

Proper sureing of the frame and air bags is most important!

It could happed to the most expierenced.....

Nick-

[plyonsMC9]

Thanks for the sobering reminder Nick.  We cannot be too careful or take anything for granted around our buses.

Best Regards, Phil

[Hobie]

I wonder if he had a jack on the soft shoulder. 

[brojcol]

This is exactly why I bought roadside insurance with my bus.  I don't consider myself qualified to change a tire on a bus.  One has to know one's limitations.

But Nick's right, could happen to even the most experienced mechanic.

[belfert]

The guy who got crushed was a roadside service guy!  It sure looks like a mobile tire service truck in the photo.

Maybe jack stands should be used when changing a tire and not just when going under the bus.

[Buffalo SpaceShip]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was a roadside tire guy. I've had occasion to use them a few times, along with tire service centers, and they've never used jackstands or any type of fall-prevention equipment. Must be a time thing. And stands won't help much in the mushy conditions. I've seen bottle jacks go through hot asphalt, so the soft should in the pic is just a recipe for disaster.

I carry some 6x6 and 4x4 cribbing in the bays to put under the weight-bearing parts of the axle structure when I have to jack it up. I also have some 8x12 (ish) steel grates to go under the bottle jacks to distribute the load better. At the very minimum, a run-up block under the brake drum might have helped that guy.

Very sad,
Brian B.

[Gary '79 5C]

Very sad indeed, I believe the service person lost his life, as the news indicated that the driver was calling for medical assistance. This location is up the road from me, and the area/ shoulder would have been sandy soil. Very easily the jack sank in if changing the curb side. A wake up call for all who change their tires, and those of us who utilize road side assistance. We should be vigilant over others who change the tires. As the road side people are possibly under time pressure and perform work without proper cribbing. Heck, who hasn't some time in their life. This poor fellow did not get away this time.

Gary

[Jeremy]

This type of inflatable jack is used by off-roaders who often need to jack their vehicles on soft or uneven ground:




They are inflated by the vehicle's own exhaust. I've never used one so I don't know how long it would take to inflate - maybe one big enough to take the weight of a bus would just take far to long to fill up. Aside from the risk of a puncture, it would seem pretty safe - no way the vehicle could 'fall off' - and very lightweight and easy to store too.

Jeremy

[belfert]

They make heavier duty lifting bags for fire depts and such.  Exhaust would be a bit impractical for a tire guy, but I don't know if their air compressor would ever fill one in a reasonable timeframe.

[JackConrad]

Jacking a bus (or anything heavy) in sand requires a large base to prevent the jack from shifting. We have road service, but also carry a couple pieces of 2X12 about 2' long to use as a base under the jack.  Jack

[WEC4104]

The link below has the most detailed report I have seen.

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/top_three/story/7490297p-7385847c.html

[dwbruner]

Very sad that this young man lost his life.

Here is a link for ASE Systems that manufactures air jacks like the fire & rescue teams use.  Quick inflation time, large capacity & jacking height up to 18"......

http://www.asesystems.com/

Thanks,
Darrin

[DavidInWilmNC]

What size / thickness steel plate would be needed to keep a jack from sinking in sandy soil?  Our soil here is so sandy that it's almost impractical to jack heavy car without a piece of wood under the jack.  There's a lot of conduit being installed underground where I work.  The company has these huge steel plates about 10' X 8' and about 1" thick to lay over the trenches where driveways are.  I'd LOVE to have a few of those at home to park the bus on.  I'm curious how much those plates weigh; they're lifted with a back hoe and chains.

David

[WEC4104]

David:

You should find some info of interest in the following link

http://www.comcoreupi.com/roadplate.htm