Another Crash

[usbusin]

Another terrible bus crash.  Prayers are needed.

[url]http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/31/us-usa-buscrash-oregon-idUSBRE8BT0AV20121231]http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/31/us-usa-buscrash-oregon-idUSBRE8BT0AV20121231]
[url]http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/31/us-usa-buscrash-oregon-idUSBRE8BT0AV20121231[/url]

[Van]

Same story here
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57561285/nine-killed-in-oregon-tour-bus-crash/

[John316]

That is really sad. I have driven that stretch of road quite a few times. It can be rough in bad weather.

However, that stretch is straight downhill. It isn't bad, even in solid ice, BTDT. Sure any stretch with ice is bad, there are far worse sections.

Here is my theory, you all weigh in and let me know if you think this could be it.

Scenario: Driver is cruising down the hill and is picking up speed. Maybe sees a bit of a glaze, but doesn't think too much of it/sees the black ice but knows he is going straight so no issues/doesn't see the black ice. He then slows down by activating the jake or transmission retarder. His RPMS are high, so he has a lot of braking power going into his drive axle right away. That instantly kicks the rear end out, and he doesn't have the presence of mind to deactivate the jake/retarder, and goes off the road. 

What do you all think? Am I close? RJ and JC you around?

John

[lostagain]

John, I can't really speculate or comment on that. We don't know why he went off the road. Maybe he was driving too fast: a lot of bus drivers drive too fast. Maybe he was driving nice and slow, and there is nothing you can do on freezing rain. But I haven't read that there was freezing rain. So we won't know until, if, they tell us what the conditions actually were. All I know for sure from my experience, is if you drive nice and slow and defensibly, you can stay out of trouble in most situations. And if he is found to have been negligent and reckless, I'd like to see him charged, instead of calling it an accident. Also his company would have to bear some liability for not training him properly. And seat belts might have prevented some of the deaths. Some of those passengers were ejected out the windows.

Travelling by bus is still the safest mode of road transportation by far.

JC

[expressbus]

Post on Prevost Community website by a local resident states there was black ice that may have been contributory to the loss of control. They also stated the grade has a local name, "dead man's grade."

Snow is one thing, ice is totally different as to maintaining control of a vehicle, bus or car. If it was black ice then it is fortunate other vehicles seen in the photo did not get involved in a bigger wreck.

[Boomer]

Quite a few comments on the net by some who mistakenly think this wreck happened on Cabbage Hill, the long grade just east of Pendleton on I-84.  It happened at MP 227 which is east of the grade and is more or less flat to rolling highway, although it is near the summit of the Blue Mountains.  It can get wicked up there, I have driven it in trucks and buses in all kinds of weather; in fact I actually pushed snow with my bumper in a truck once in the '70's. My guess is this is a simple case of driving too fast for conditions as it was obviously packed snow and ice.  9 lives lost to unprofessional driving?  We shall see.

[Gary W]

On the Canadian news they said some of the passengers said the driver was going to fast. IT could have been icy also as I found out.

We just went up that pass on Tuesday, we spent the night in Pendleton. WE got up in the morning, I almost fell down in the parking it was icy from ice fog. When we approached Cabbage hill the chain up lights were on so we pulled into the Casino parking lot with a lot of truckers. Around noon we got the okay to go no chains. . They salted and the road, it was foggy but fine. We are now in Vegas heading for Yuma in the morning, will be visiting with Ed Hackenbruch. Happy to be in a warmer part of the country.

Gary