Thread: Terrible accident today in St. Louis

I have and the person behind me too. And if we almost had a rear end accident and it takes 18 wheelers 40 percent longer to stop guess what happens next? yep you guessed it. 18 wheeler that plows into a 10 cars killing all but 2 people. im not mad or agravated in the least bit just to let everyone know. Im just sharing my opinions

Same here. Just making the argument that it's the cars just as much as the trucks. You just don't hear about the car related incidents as much cause it more common.

It is a very common problem, and you do hear about it all the time. The difference is the car vs car accidents rarely send 12 people to the hospital like in this case.

good point

I know.

Originally Posted by Reptile

I know.

ok....I gotch....don't worry about it.....it's ok....

Watching this thread unfold has been interesting. Maybe it's because this accident hit home for me as I drive that route where the accident was everyday, that could have easily have been me, my wife and my kids as a stain on the road. That area of the accident has a clear line of sight and is downhill. I knew exactly what happened when they first reported this as I have seen speeding semi's drive like that all of the time in that area. If fact a similar accident happened two years ago at that same spot and yes it was a semi plowing into the back of a line of stopped cars but no one was killed. Yet from the very beginning of this thead you have many people protecting the semi driver and saying we need to wait till all of the facts are in. It's very simple too fast+too close+Unattentive. Too be honest I drive a 3/4 ton dually for most of my daily driving. I'm not worried about a car, an SUV or another truck hitting me, I will more than likely walk away from someone being and idiot and crashing into me. What I am worried about are the idiot semi drivers out there in ever increasing numbers. Maybe thats selfish thinking but it is what it is. Semi's need to be held to a different standard in regards to punishment for bad driving. Maybe charging this guy with reckless manslaughter and spending a few years in jail for being a dip**** on his cell phone while he is driving a missile weighing 80,000 lbs would send a clear message. But we all know nothing will happen to this guy, He will declare bankruptcy to protect himself from the lawsuits and be back on the road in no time. I get this sense from semi drivers and the industry that deep down they believe that in order for them too deliver food on our tables you 4-wheelers are just a casualty of doing a business and if you regulate us any more than the bare minimum then we just can't out food on your table. I don't have all the answers but this is a huge issue that needs to be addressed.

You know, we can argue this forever. Everything that you say about the truck drivers can be turned around and said about the 4-wheelers. I understand the trucks way more and shouldn't drive as fast as they do. That is pure stupidity. As so the 4-wheelers shouldn't drive as fast as they do either. If they are unattentive, the same thing can happen. Of course as many cars wouldn't be involved. The same punishment should be held for both. I guess why I argue this so much is because I drove for so long and seen alot of stuff on the road. I literally had people cut me off and slam on brakes in front of me just because I couldn't move as fast as they wanted me to. I do agree with what you say about SOME truck drivers. To everyone, lets not get carried away and think that all truck drivers drive like they shouldn't. Some are just like us and want to get home to their families safely. And then there are the idiots, like you said that don't give a crap, which goes on the truck and car side. The best advice I could give to people out on the streets, no matter what they drive, if you see car, truck or bike being a idiot, call their a$$ in. I am not sitting on either side of the fence on this, I just see more downing the truck drivers when anything can happen to anybody. I know this was started because of a truck that caused a major accident. I just don't like when people say that truck drivers this and truck drivers that when it comes down to being cars and trucks, not just one. I now bow out of this arguement, I have said my piece.

Your right we can argue all day long. But before you guys get back to talking about whether it was a Grand Am that got all good and smashed up let me say this one last thing.....
If their are 65 million idiots running around with hand grenades and 7.5 million idiots with atom bombs which group do you want to go after first to stop being idiots...

Originally Posted by GeddyLee

That was my question too when this first happened, but Jay, aka Abrasive, is an autobody glass guy and he confirmed it is a Grand Am due to certain aspects of the mounting of the glass in the rear window.

Look at the spoiler.

My father in law was a truck driver for almost 40 years (retired 10 years ago) and had 1 major accident and that was a car passed on the right and ran into him. The driver has the same responsibility to keep his vehicle under control, if you are going fast enough you can't stop for cars in front, and you rear end them you are at fault, there is a reason on most interstate speed signs trucks have a 55 mph speed limit, I believe the driver was going too fast (very common) and could not stop when he noticed the stopped cars. I paint big trucks, and can tell you in Alabama there is no training, or enforcement, I can go get a cdl by taking a written test, and backing a truck up 5 feet

Wow! I just saw this post today. SAD!!!
Most of you probably know that my husband is a truckdriver. We can both say that you never know whos fault its gonna be. I trust my Troy 110% in his semi. I would stand on his hood, i trust him that much. His brother in law, is another story. He shouldn't be allowed to drive period!! I saw him (bro in law) pass in a no passing zone and run a little car off the road. He can't be fired, he's self employed. One time he parked on top of a hill (slanted down) and didn't put on his break. His truck went rolling down the hill. I thought he was in it. It drove in our lane to the bottom of the hill then just crossed the center line into a camper being pulled by a pickup. Him and my husband ran down the hill to try and catch it?? Reflex?? I drove Troys truck down there and Troy asked that man if they were ok and that man said yeah, but I think that guy had a heart attack or something. And that man ran to check on the driver. Little did he know, there was no driver. There was a little girl in that pick-up the same age as bro in laws daughter. He didn't even get a ticket!!!
There are idiots everywhere!!!! Cars & Trucks.
Oh yeah, Troy said here in Okla. when you have a CDL and are in any accident you have to take a blood test. Sounds good to me!