Trip ends in tragedy

[akroyaleagle]

Thankfully you're all OK!

As others have said, equipment can be replaced.

Distracted drivers are something that we are going to have to live with and anticipate. That ship has sailed and ain't returning. Everybody has laws concerning it but they are simply ignored.

I have attended and taught many defensive courses in my life. I try to attend another every couple of years. Amazing how many things have changed when most of us got our licenses in the middle of the last century! Because of airbags, the position of the hands on the steering wheel is but one example.

We've become a society that must take every action to protect ourselves and others from insanity. AARP teaches courses for little or no charge in most places. Many are too young to learn, most of us are not too old.

[pabusnut]

Richard,

Stuff can be replaced, human life can't.    That moment of distraction or whatever cost the other driver his life.

When talking with the insurance company, make sure they know you may be interested in purchasing your now "scrap value" motorhome. That cost of obtaining the bus itself may be much less than the worth all the items that you can remove and re-use, or sell to others of us busnuts.

Thankful that you are OK.  Make sure to get medically checked out, as some neck/back injuries don't manifest until a couple of days later.

Steve T

[Zephod]

I can tell you a thing or two about distracted drivers. I drive a schoolbus and I see distracted drivers every day. Always on their cellphones instead of driving. My copilot (I have an aide who is also a driver) asked me if my phone was ringing. I said it was but as I was driving I was just ignoring it. I can't understand people that can't ignore their darned phones and thus can't concentrate on driving. I've had policemen wandering into my lane because of their damned cellphone addiction.

I've had to swerve (not an easy task) a 16 ton schoolbus to avoid a turkey that pulled out of the turn lane without looking. He braked and he was very lucky there was nothing in the lane beside me in that I was able to swerve. If I hadn't been then I'm pretty sure he would have been dead.

I am normally on the road between 5:40am and 8:45am and between 1:30pm and 5pm. I notice the worst driving is after dawn has broken (coincidentally when people think they can see well enough to do other things) and after 4pm when people are trying to rush home to watch Dallas on TV or eat their TV dinner.


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[Zephod]

Didn't charge me. Just free sound advice.

You got exactly what you paid for then.


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[luvrbus]

Wow!!! The fact that a Honda Civic can do this kind of damage to one of these things doesn't exactly leave one with the warm fuzzes does it ??   

Yea and that is toughest spot on a GM with all the steel in that location

[eagle19952]

You got exactly what you paid for then.


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you really have no clue.

[Zephod]

Yea and that is toughest spot on a GM with all the steel in that location

I've been very unimpressed by vehicle safety. Back in Britain about 30 years ago, I lost braking traction on a poorly maintained road (the brakes were on but the road surface came off) and tapped a Subaru very lightly on the driver side rear bumper. Both the passenger door and the driver door on the drivers side were both jammed solidly. The driver who was the only occupant had to slide over to the passenger side to exit. Now if that had been a bad crash with vehicles catching fire...

I've seen schoolbusses after they've been hit by vehicles too. Front and rear impacts they're usually able to shrug off and keep going. Where they fare very badly is in side impacts.


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[kyle4501]

Richard, sad to hear of your misfortune.
The more you talk about it, the sooner you will be able to resolve the emotions.

You said that you have it insured for declared value - that is likely what it will be. However, it wouldn't hurt to have as much documentation as you get your hands on to show what you have invested in it & that it is/was in excellent mechanical condition  -- NOT --  a old worn out, used up vehicle.

I wish you well in moving forward. Hope you like your next RV even better!

[Bus Lurker]

Richard,

Your reactions in seconds leading up to the impact were absolutely correct!

As a truck driver with 35+ years of seat time and much more than a million miles working for Fortune 500 companies, from the hundreds of safety meetings I attended, I never heard what I am going to tell you now.  I could only tell this to my wife, but since I am retired I can talk about this now.

Several times I had close calls which could have resulted in head on collisions.  I then decided if another driver was leading up to a head on collision with me in my lane or other cars around me were spinning out of control, I would not take evasive action; I would simply stay in my lane and safely brake.  There are reasons for this decision.  First, I did not want to steer into a ditch or cause other collisions by trying to avoid a head on collision; I would be in a ditch and/or my employer would be liable for other damage I caused to other vehicles while the driver who would have caused a head on collision would simply drive away.  Evasive action could have cause a jackknife or flipped over my tractor trailer and spilled my cargo.  Trucks have been know to flip crushing cars nearby.   

Ten years ago while driving into Los Angeles on the freeway, as the result of a driver not paying attention, cars started spinning around me out of control; I hit one of the cars who passed sideways directly in front, but I stayed in my lane and did not take evasive action.  Most of the car drivers were taken away in ambulances.  Long story short; I was not cited for the accident by the CHP and my employer (who was self insured) was not found liable.  My front bumper was pushed into the front tire and I had a bruise from the seat belt.  On the scene I completed a detailed accident report, took many photos and found witnesses as we were trained to do.  The front bumper was pulled away from the tire and I finished my day.

So Richard, do not wrack your brain thinking of what you could have done differently to prevent the accident.  The unfortunate person, his family, and you are forever affected by what has happened, but I have not read anything you could have done differently. 

Thank you for sharing your experience; I am sorry this accident has happened to you.     

Mike

[Tony LEE]

God is looking over you.

But not the other driver eh??

[muldoonman]

you really have no clue.

You're right Don. Some people have a point but it usually on top of they're noggin..

[richard5933]

Dash cam video uploaded to You Tube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeQuNudINSQ

Last few seconds of video look like the bus is rolling over. It's not. As the nose hit the dirt on the uphill side of the ravine, it pulled the entire front down a couple of inches which caused the windshields to fly out and around. The dash cam was mounted on the upper left corner of the driver's side windshield, and what looks like the bus rolling is actually the camera flying out and rolling under the bus.

Richard

[muldoonman]

Wow, glad you are all right. Thank goodness for that study bus. Betcha texting or phone got him.

[richard5933]

Wow, glad you are all right. Thank goodness for that study bus. Betcha texting or phone got him.

State Trooper thought he worked at a local plant and was coming home from a 3rd shift job, likely fell asleep while driving. No way to know for certain.

Richard

[Dreadnought]

Richard I'm glad you're ok. It's very heart breaking about your RV though, these are much more than machines, with the love and attention we put into them. It did its duty to protect you :-(. That's what it was designed to do.

I just moved to southern Wisconsin btw so we're neighbors!