Don't leave vehicle running

[cletus99]

This just happened this past Monday. It happened just around the corner from my house. I didn't really know the man, but met him once when my house was being built. He stopped by to introduce himself. Very nice man. The article says he was pinned between the truck and a fence, but he was actually run over and pinned under the vehicle. His teenage son was the one that found him dead under the truck. I never used to think much about getting out of my truck and leaving it running, but I might think twice now. Same goes for tractors or any other vehicle too. My coworker is also a volunteer fireman and he responded to the accident. He said it was awful.


Crash claims life in Worth County - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

 

[Midniteoyl]

Sorry to hear this..

I hate working on my car/truck while running. I ALWAYS use the parking brake and block the tires. Even then, I spend as much time as I can on the sides and not in front/behind of the vehicle. Just makes me too nervous.

Wonder what caused the truck to jump into gear? Story doesnt say if he was working on/looking at it at the time? Any idea what year/model it was?

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Sorry to hear this..

I hate working on my car/truck while running. I ALWAYS use the parking brake and block the tires. Even then, I spend as much time as I can on the sides and not in front/behind of the vehicle. Just makes me too nervous.

Wonder what caused the truck to jump into gear? Story doesnt say if he was working on/looking at it at the time? Any idea what year/model it was?

Same here. I remember when the old Fords used to do that.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I remember my 1978 Ford pickup... Got a notice from Ford that to not leave the truck running while in Park, that there "might" be a chance that it would drop into reverse. Do you think they issued a recall for that? No Chance! Got a little sticker with a notice to put it on the dashboard that stated 'Do not leave running in Park to avoid chance of transmission dropping into reverse'

Some bean-counter must have gotten a promotion by saving an expensive fix with a 5-cent sticker.

 

[cletus99]

Sorry to hear this..

I hate working on my car/truck while running. I ALWAYS use the parking brake and block the tires. Even then, I spend as much time as I can on the sides and not in front/behind of the vehicle. Just makes me too nervous.

Wonder what caused the truck to jump into gear? Story doesnt say if he was working on/looking at it at the time? Any idea what year/model it was?

I'm not sure what year model it was. He has two gates going in to his property and he pulled in through the first gate and got out to open the second gate when the truck went in gear and ran him over.

Here's another article from another news site. The article assumes it wasn't in gear, but my coworker that was on the scene said he believes it jumped out of gear.

Worth County Coroner Johnny Johnson was on scene just after 5 P.M. Monday at an Etheredge Road residence, near the Gintown Road intersection, in response to a fatal accident involving a man who had reportedly been run over by a vehicle.

Monday evening, the coroner explained the cause of death as blunt force trauma as a result of ‘a very tragic accident’. Gerald A. Etheridge was driving an old Chevy pick-up truck when he stopped, got out to open the gate to enter his yard and left the vehicle running. Apparently the vehicle was not in gear, moved forward and pinned Etheredge underneath the vehicle.

Mr. Etheredge was only 53-years old. He was employed with Demott Peanut Company.

 

[dave1949]

My brother was making a delivery in one of those Fords, at a greenhouse, in winter. It didn't turn out well, but just broken glass thank goodness.

Sad story.

 

[xtn]

So it dropped out of Park into Drive?

Or perhaps it was in neutral and the approach to his gate is slightly downhill? This seems much more likely.

Either way I send prayers for his family.

xtn

 

[Midniteoyl]

Sounds like it was either a manual in neutral, or, he left it in gear by mistake. I have been known to do that when distracted. Though, I usually realize by the time I get out as the truck is already moving...

 

[dmccarty]

I wonder if he did not quite put it in park and it slipped out. But that would be the truck in reverse for the auto transmissions I have had. It was not clear to me but it sounds like the truck backed over him.

I knew a wildlife officer who finally got a brand new full sized patrol vehicle after many years of waiting. He was backing a boat into the Intercoastal Water Way when a fight broke out on the dock. He put the truck in park and ran to the fight. Except he did not really put the truck in park but in reverse or the tranny slipped into reverse. The fight pretty much stopped as his boat and brand new patrol vehicle went into the salt water..... He got suspended without pay for that Rah Ruh.

My truck is a manual but the other car is an auto. I use the parking brake all of the time because with a manual you have too. Good habit to have engrained.

Feel sorry for the family and friends.

Later,
Dan

 

[Coyote machine]

Post #5 says the coroner said the truck WAS NOT in gear. So it had to have been in neutral and then it rolled.

 

[MossRoad]

Tragic story.

Thanks for sharing as its very good advice. My best friend growing up had a brother-in-law that got out of a running skid steer. He was standing between it and a pile of dirt using a hand shovel and the skid steer moved forward and pinned him to the dirt pile with the bucket right about waist height. He died in a helicopter on the way to the hospital leaving behind a wife and several kids. That story has stuck with me. Always shut off your vehicle if at all possible if you have to leave the operator's station. Use your parking brakes and make sure its always in good running order.

 

[turnkey4099]

<snip>
My truck is a manual but the other car is an auto. I use the parking brake all of the time because with a manual you have too. Good habit to have engrained.

Feel sorry for the family and friends.

Later,
Dan

??? Just curious but why does one _have_ to use the parking brake for a manual? every one I have had, and have, can be parked with the tranny in gear. Not a good practice though. Is there something new in the newer vehicles? Or did you mean "with the engine running"?

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

What can happen when leaving a vehicle running: Spokane, Washington last spring (may have been last fall), guy leaves truck running to warm up, 20 something old juvenile delinquent steals, man sees him leaving, fires one round which kills perp. Case still going through the court process as he is claiming self defense as he thought the kid was pointing a gun at him (kinda hard to do while driving away). Latest update a few weeks ago has defense trying to get all his statements made at the scene barred from the case.

Spokane has a city ordinance making it illegal to leave an unattended vehicle running due to the prevalence of auto theft under those circumstances.

Harry K

 

[jmurray01]

I admit I leave my engine running a lot of the time but with a manual it is of little risk, but with an Automatic it can prove fatal, as it so sadly has.

The man's family has my most sincere prayers.

 

[jmurray01]

Sounds like it was either a manual in neutral, or, he left it in gear by mistake. I have been known to do that when distracted. Though, I usually realize by the time I get out as the truck is already moving...

If it was a manual in neutral surely it wouldn't have killed him? I could be wrong about this, though.

 

[buickanddeere]

All kinds of drivers have left an automatic transmission vehicle in drive or reverse and left the vehicle because it was stopped.

 

[hawkeye08]

What can happen when leaving a vehicle running: Spokane, Washington last spring (may have been last fall), guy leaves truck running to warm up, 20 something old juvenile delinquent steals, man sees him leaving, fires one round which kills perp. Case still going through the court process as he is claiming self defense as he thought the kid was pointing a gun at him (kinda hard to do while driving away). Latest update a few weeks ago has defense trying to get all his statements made at the scene barred from the case.

Spokane has a city ordinance making it illegal to leave an unattended vehicle running due to the prevalence of auto theft under those circumstances.

Harry K

The ordinance does not apply to private property such as the driveway the truck was parked in. If it had been on the street, then your comment would have applied.

 

[dmccarty]

??? Just curious but why does one _have_ to use the parking brake for a manual? every one I have had, and have, can be parked with the tranny in gear. Not a good practice though. Is there something new in the newer vehicles? Or did you mean "with the engine running"?

Harry K

:laughing::laughing::laughing: Well I meant what I said, I always use the parking brake when I get out of the truck. Now, it might have been a weeeee bit clearer if I had added that I use the parking brake when I get out of the truck, or tractor for that matter, and leave the engine running and the tranny in neutral. When I really park the truck, I set the parking brake and leave it in reverse gear per the manual so the truck cannot move. I thought you set the parking brake and then put the truck in gear to keep pressure off the transmission if on a hill. I have been doing that for so long I have forgotten WHY I have been doing it. :laughing::laughing::laughing: I bet you set the brake and then put it gear in case the tranny gets put in neutral.

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

If it was a manual in neutral surely it wouldn't have killed him? I could be wrong about this, though.

One would think it would be unlikely but if the car was on a hill and it started rolling, there is quite a bit of mass in even a small car compared to a puny human. You would THINK one would hear the car moving even on pavement, but maybe not, depending on background noise. It would be a big mistake to try to physically stop the rolling vehicle by standing behind it but I could see someone trying.

Later,
Dan

 

[Coyote machine]

What can happen when leaving a vehicle running: Spokane, Washington last spring (may have been last fall), guy leaves truck running to warm up, 20 something old juvenile delinquent steals, man sees him leaving, fires one round which kills perp. Case still going through the court process as he is claiming self defense as he thought the kid was pointing a gun at him (kinda hard to do while driving away). Latest update a few weeks ago has defense trying to get all his statements made at the scene barred from the case.

Spokane has a city ordinance making it illegal to leave an unattended vehicle running due to the prevalence of auto theft under those circumstances.

Harry K

If it were my driveway I would have claimed the perp was intending to cause me bodily harm, threat of deadly force use, ( the truck) to run me down, and I fired in self defense. Castle defense. Case closed.:thumbsup: