5 in pickup killed in Wyo. tractor-trailer crash

[Racer X 69]

(AP) CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Highway Patrol says all five occupants of a pickup truck were killed when the driver lost control on Interstate 80 and collided head-on with a tractor-trailer.


The patrol announced news of the Thursday wreck on Monday after notifying the victims’ families.
Investigators say 43-year-old Maria D. Ruiz-Flores was driving west when she lost control in icy conditions, crossed the grass median and hit the eastbound truck about 40 miles east of Rawlins. Ruiz-Flores and 17-year-old Jose A. Hernandez-Ruiz, both of Gladstone, Ore., were killed.


Sgt. Stephen Townsend says three youths in the pickup also died. Authorities have yet to identify them.



Troopers said no one in the pickup was wearing a seat belt.



The truck driver was not injured.

 

[boone315]

See this happen way to often, it is a shame,, of course this will go in the truck accident statistics so the special interest groups can use it against us when they try to change the rules and regs next time

 

[patriciajnsn]

Ya I know,why is that?Why does the truckers get blamed for EVERY accident out there involving trk/car crashes?We get blamed for the 4wheelers texting while drivin g so the law comes down hard on us.It's a never ending battle and a no win situation with us and FMCSA.

See this happen way to often, it is a shame,, of course this will go in the truck accident statistics so the special interest groups can use it against us when they try to change the rules and regs next time

 

[boone315]

For the main reason is we are not organized(and I do hate unions) the one big association who has a ton of money and influence is the American Trucking Association and they are in the pockets of big business. OOIDA still is not big enough. The trucking industry is second only to the U.S. Gov't for the amount of people it employs. If every driver would just VOTE, it would make a huge difference. Because now matter what special interest group/union is buying off that politician, if he does not get elected, it will not matter. There are two days that I WILL be home for every year. July 4th and election day. I have been out of active military service since '94 and have not missed an election day. I think it is every American's duty to vote, whether I agree with your politics or not, it is still your duty to give voice to what you think is right. the fact that only 25% of the voting public votes every election is a slap in the face to those who are sacrificing themselves to preserve that right for you. Do you know that the most reliable voter in this country are immigrants? Because most of them have come from places where they never had the opportunity to voice their opinion for or against the gov't without the threat of being killed

 

[boone315]

There I go wondering off topic again, I apologize

 

[Racer X 69]

Oh, it is OK, just don't let Sinister see it. And what is all this talk about the truck driver always getting the blame? The article clearly states that the driver of the truck was not to blame. The woman driving the pickup lost control and crossed the median, hitting the truck head on.

I know this area where the accident happened and most of that stretch of road has a fairly wide median, and this time of year there is a seasonal speed limit in effect, 65 mph. The local news had pictures and you could not tell what brand the pickup was, it had been smashed so bad. The truck was tore up pretty bad too. I know about the combined speeds and all but after losing control and crossing the median through all the snow piled up and to have that much damage says something about the vehicle speeds before the accident.

 

[2xR]

Guess what? If that driver's logs are the least bit out of whack an ambulance chasing lawyer, maybe even the District Attorney will be trying to make the point that if that driver had been in compliance his truck would not have been at that precise location, at that precise time. It will be stated that if his truck hadn't been there the other vehicle would have regained control and drove away. Since he broke the law while placing his truck at the wrong place, at the right time, he should PAY for his mistake.

Follow the story... I betcha' he gets some of the blame, or, at least gets sued as a contributing factor. Those brake adjustments are being measured, and, his past six months of logs are being audited. I wouldn't want to be that driver.

 

[Racer X 69]

Guess what? If that driver's logs are the least bit out of whack an ambulance chasing lawyer, maybe even the District Attorney will be trying to make the point that if that driver had been in compliance his truck would not have been at that precise location, at that precise time. It will be stated that if his truck hadn't been there the other vehicle would have regained control and drove away. Since he broke the law while placing his truck at the wrong place, at the right time, he should PAY for his mistake.

Follow the story... I betcha' he gets some of the blame, or, at least gets sued as a contributing factor. Those brake adjustments are being measured, and, his past six months of logs are being audited. I wouldn't want to be that driver.

You are right but that is also a very painful truth.

 

[boone315]

back a few years ago, 4 college students were returning from a game, they were on I-90 (somewhere by Rochester NY)when they crossed the median(either due to bad weather, goofing off or whatever) hit a semi driver head on, if I remember correctly they were all killed in the 4whlr, the driver, who was from Canada faced charges of manslaughter because his log book was 2 hours out of whack.