PA-Ohio Man Killed In I-79 Crash

[Washboard]

Horrible accident....

1 Dead In Interstate 79 Accident Near Southpointe Exit - kdka.com

 

[Apostolic]

Thanks for your post Washboard.
I just saw this crash on the web,was going to post but saw you beat me to it.

Witness say this driver never slowed down,maybe he was not focused on his driving?
I think the authorities may charge this trucker for the rebar hanging off the back of his flat bed.
Unless hopefully he had it flagged.

 

[Washboard]

I only saw the accident from a nearby overpass and didn't realize how much overhang there was until I saw the video. There were flags that can be seen in the video, but they don't appear to stand out very well. There is also an oversize load banner on the rear of the trailer, but it is obscured by the load.

 

[shadowr434]

I think your gonna see a over length fine here.That over hang is a little too severe from the pics.They have spreadable trailers for that kind of load.

 

[Stimpy]

The last time I knew you were allowed a four foot over hang on the back with flags and as much as you can on the front as long as there is a bulk head on the tractor. I could be wrong but I had pulled a flatbed before.... ten years ago or so.

 

[Apostolic]

Well stimpy you know the trucking industry with all of its government regulations is an ever changing process.
So what was once ok a year ago may be completely different currently.

 

[shadowr434]

Definitely a bit more than 4 ft.

 

[WildHeart]

Well Stimpy I think you are right as of a year ago that was the case 4 foot overhang was allowable with flags.. that's the most I could do with long joints of drill pipe/casing/tubing, and any flat bedding required a headache rack on the truck or a bulk head or fabrication of sorts on the front of the trailer.

 

[RacerX69]

This accident was posted on another forum, and it has generated a bit of a debate about the truck driver being responsible for the accident and the death of the guy in the car.

The way I see it, even if the truck driver didn't have his load properly set on the trailer, or didn't have proper permits, it doesn't change the fact that the guy in the car was reported to be traveling twice as fast as the truck and was either texting or talking on a cell phone when he rear ended the truck.

When are people going to learn that when you are driving that you need to be focused on driving, not talking on the phone or sending and receiveing text messages.

 

[Apostolic]

I'm with you RacerX69,whatever the 4 wheeler driver was doing to distract his focus from driving we will never know.
However it was a fatal error on his part,he will never have another chance to get it right the next time.

 

[RacerX69]

I'm with you RacerX69,whatever the 4 wheeler driver was doing to distract his focus from driving we will never know.
However it was a fatal error on his part,he will never have another chance to get it right the next time.

If he was on the phone or texting as witnesses say it can be verified with the phone company records. And I would be willing to wager that traffic cameras can be checked to verify the speed of the vehicle right before the crash, and accident investigators can determine just about all conditions of all vehicles before, during and after an accident.

The sad fact is that there is a question about the load on the truck, and the licensing of the truck. It is mentioned in one of the news reports that the load did not have a valid overlength permit for Pennsylvania, and that the company that owns the truck did not have current fuel tax and licensing for PA.

Because of that even though the driver was not at fault at least some fault will likely be placed on him and the company that owns the truck.

Someone keeps telling me that the truck was being operated illegally in PA. I say, so what? That doesn't make the actions of the driver of the car any less illegal.

 

[AlexDaylee]

Wow that is horrible. I never even heard about this until today and I have tons of family around the Washington area that I talk to daily. Something like that normally would get mentioned.

 

[Washboard]

I drove past the I-79 scales just north of Fairmont ,WV today and there was a trailer there with a similar load. The scales were closed and there was no tractor in sight, so I don't know if there were legal issues or it was just left there for the night while the driver bobtailed to a motel.