Semi goes airborne

[rekees4300]

This happened 20 miles from me on 8/2/13. Driver and his daughter survived.

Watch semi-truck go airborne, explode - CNN.com Video

 

[ericb2400]

 

[powerstroke444e]

That's what every body has wanted to do in a semi but WOW that is amazing he kept it upright.

 

[Don87]

Keep us updated if you can. I've been around Greensburg, In. a lot, but I can't think of where this may have happened.

 

[Scooby074]

Them Duke boys at it again...

 

[bcp]

I've been around Greensburg, In. a lot, but I can't think of where this may have happened.

Near 10 minute video here, with the crash near the middle. You may recognize the place, with all the driving on streets before the crash.

semi truck crash I74 Greensburg,IN - YouTube

Bruce

 

[CliffordK]

Here is a brief story.

So the driver swerved to avoid another car... at least that is what he claims.

I'm not sure there was a lot of controlling to keep the rig upright. It looks like once he ran off the road, he was at the mercy of nature. He apparently hit the embankment at a point where the slope kept the truck fairly level.

 

[lilranch2001]

wow, just wow

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

Pretty easy to see he fell asleep

 

[rekees4300]

Pretty easy to see he fell asleep

That's the story I heard.

Keep us updated if you can. I've been around Greensburg, In. a lot, but I can't think of where this may have happened.

It happened at the interchange of I-74 and US-421 on the northwest side of Greensburg.

 

[Don87]

That's the story I heard.




It happened at the interchange of I-74 and US-421 on the northwest side of Greensburg.

Thanks for posting the location.

I too think he fell asleep.

 

[farmgirl19]

Holy Cow!

 

[Bigfoot62]

Pretty easy to see he fell asleep

Don't be quick to judge.

I drive a tractor/trailer. Other drivers do REALLY STUPID stuff in front of a semi all the time. That's why the trucker that recorded that video has a dash-cam to begin with.

 

[MHarryE]

Agree with Bigfoot. Car drivers do incredibly stupid things around trucks. It's even worse pulling a wide load as the car drivers will take major risks to get around and depend on your brakes to keep you from crushing them against a barrier. My thought when I first saw this was a person wanted to get around the truck, then noticed his exit and tried to pull over in front and the truck driver had no place else to go but I do have to admit there is no sign of braking. Still, if he fell asleep, why would it be at exactly the exit ramp? Murphy's law says you fall asleep at the wheel when there is a bridge pillar to hit.

 

[CliffordK]

Ok, so the truck recording was headed northbound on 421. The truck that crashed was heading eastbound on 74.

The Google map appears to be a bit obsolete, but shows what the terrain was like a few years ago.
The Mapquest map is newer.



How fast was the truck going? If it had hit the 421 exit, it should have been able to hold the curve, and stop before getting to 421. The "old" 421 exit likely gives a nice slope (ramp) up to the overpass.

I can imagine a truck swerving, a bit, but I still have a lot of troubles imagining how a driver could have made that jump awake and sober.

Actually, I74 was going around a gentle left curve.
The offramp took a gentle right curve.
The truck went straight between the two at a high rate of speed without braking.

That sounds very suspicious for driver error or sleeping behind the wheel.

It would be interesting to see an analysis of the truck tracks and skid marks.

 

[Tollster]

Bet that left a stain!

 

[Renze]

Them Duke boys at it again...

[like]

 

[CliffordK]

Apparently they were practising for a trip to Australia.

 

[Scooby074]

Another amazingly similar accident caught by a drivers video camera. Who knew them Duke boys were running a lawn care business on the side! Follow link for the video
http://deadspin.com/womans-vine-cap...source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow