Chain Reaction

[WDH]

In our Industry, the Timber Industry, safety on the highways hauling the products we produce is as important as safety in the woods.  I wanted to relate a rather bizarre accident that recently occurred in one of our contract logging operations.

Early on a very foggy morning a few weeks ago, a loaded log truck with headlights on crossed a major river in the South.  The fog hung low over the river.  Just past the bridge was a highway junctioning in on the left.  A school bus with four children aboard approached from that highway.

The bus driver did not see the log truck, which was traveling about 45 MPH.  The bus pulled into the highway into the path of the log truck.  The log truck hit the bus in the front right fender, spinning the bus around.  The hood of the bus became detached and flipped up into the air.  A large pickup truck coming from the opposite direction as the log truck crashed into the spinning bus.  The bus rolled off the highway into the ditch, tuned over, and came to rest in a field beside the road.  The pickup spun around and ended up on the right shoulder.  A Honda Accord following the pickup truck was struck by the hood of the bus as the hood came back to earth. 

The log truck, with steering damaged by the impact with the bus, jack-knifed, rolled over on its side, and slid down the highway crossing into the opposite lane.  Another pickup truck, traveling in the same direction as the 1st pickup truck and the Honda crashed into the sliding log truck, spun around, entered the ditch, and flipped over on its top.

Then, a 3rd pickup truck, following pickup truck # 2, also crashed into the log truck, spun around, entered the ditch and flipped on top of pickup #2 also in the ditch.

As this was happening, the logs were spilling from the trailer. 

Then, another Honda Accord, following the 3rd pickup truck, crashed into the spilled logs.

The bus driver and the children were unhurt.  The drivers of Pickup truck #1 and Honda #1 were OK.  The log truck driver suffered broken bones and was taken to the hospital.  The driver of Pickup #2 was killed.  The drivers of Pickup#3 and Honda #2 were OK.

What would you expect the headlined to say?  Something like, "Log truck involved in fatal accident." 

The bus driver was at fault.  The log truck driver had his headlights on and had slowed his speed because of the fog, yet our Industry gets the bad rap.  But we are making progress, little by little, and we have to stay the course focusing on safe operations in all aspects of the business.

[rebocardo]

A story like that is why I carry more then the minimum for car insurance. It is not your driving you have to worry about   :-\ Really stinks for the guy in truck#2, you can get killed for no fault of your own in a chain reaction even if you are way behind the other driver in front of you.

At least no children were killed because of the bus driver's lack of attention.  >:(