Posted on 11/09/2009 7:36:46 AM PST by SmithL
Edited on 11/09/2009 8:21:14 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
A truck driver died early today after losing control on the Bay Bridge S-curve at high speed and plummeting 200 feet below to Yerba Buena Island, the most serious collision yet since the new detour was installed, the California Highway Patrol said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Was his name Yoder???
Ugh. As if I needed any more reasons to be afraid of driving.
Lotta crashes since they stuck that S curve in there...
Along this stretch, at least on the top deck, there is no heavy barrier — just a low piece of “jersey wall” and some see-through fencing. I’ve driven in the outside lane in my van, and you get a spectacular, but scary, view. I’m not surprise a big truck went over — there’s nothing to keep it on the road surface.
This is not the first truck that lost it here. A friend of mine was stuck behind the last one — for four hours.
They should have had, and now had better have, a big, big -ass warning sign in both directions, telling trucks that they need to take it REAL slow, or they’ll get killed.
WTF?
Obviously the design/signage/speed rating is WRONG.
Doesn't California have experience with highways?
“200 feet is a long way to contemplate your fate.”
I wonder if we could install a huge picture of W just before the S curve on a huge billboard with him smiling and waving...the number of San Francisco socialists then entering the curve with only one hand on the wheel, the other busy giving him the bird...well, just a thought...
Turning can be very difficult for Kalifornians, what with all their texting, cell phone chatter, reading, and pounding on the dashboard at Glenn Beck and all ...
Sounds as though someone did some very poor planning! We used to call Yerba Buena “Yogi Bear” island when I was going to electronics school on Treaure Island back in ‘62 and ‘63, I don’t remember a lot of wrecks back then.
which I guarantee caused more grief amongst citizens there than the poor man's death....most papers would not even mention a pissant 30-40 gallons of frigging fuel...good lord...a bathtub full...folks out there are insane.
Yes, but they also have experience with extensive bureaucratic red tape....and earthquakes.
The bay bridge has been a constricted construction zone for as long as I've been travelling out there, and they've always got some little inspection zone of rivet replacing or some kind of additional bracing addition going on on that thing.
To save just one life during an earthquake, how many have to die during construction?
As time has gone by, I find I cannot drive over these types of bridges unless I am in the inside lane. Even at that, I focus exclusively on the tail lights in front of me and try not to look to the sides. Its weird, when young I rode on helicopters with my feet on the skids and never felt panicked. I have even thought of designing some glasses with blinders to help me cross such bridges. The worst one I crossed is in Astoria, OR, crossing the Columbia river. I let my wife drive across the Chesapeak Bay Bridge. Don’t know what causes this fear, but it is real.
At least the road is clear this time.
The load goes straight the road turns. Get down to 40 MPH before the turn. These drivers know that. This guy was a local driver.
Local news has shown the truck which exploded on impact with the ground. No fire, just exploded as in came apart at the seams. Looks like it went through a blender.
...and some people just refuse to slow down for road conditions regardless of the warning.
Yes. We have found that cars are found on and around highways, and cars are evil because they are made of metal and stuff and use gasoline, which is evil.
There was a time when California's freeway system was the best in the world, by far. Today that is not the case. I can't really say what went wrong, but you would be hard pressed to find anyone in the Caltrans engineering organization that could explain it in English......
I've got a fear of ALL heights. I can handle things if there is enough of a barrier, but can't get too close to the edge.
LOL! Post of the day for funny and sort of weird posts.
;-)
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