NASCAR team's truck driver killed in highway crash

Fox News ^ | Published March 9, 2022 7:43am EST | Gary Gastelu

[mabarker1]

NASCAR's David Gilliland Racing (DGR) suffered an unspeakable tragedy on Tuesday when the driver of one of its team transport trucks was killed in a highway accident. Steven Stotts was driving team hauler to Phoenix Raceway

[mabarker1]

Bad news ping

[Alberta's Child]

"According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the truck had run into the back of an SUV on Interstate 20 at around 4:30 a.m., which led to the truck crossing the median, tipping onto its side and catching fire, the Longview News-Journal reported."

I wonder if the SUV was moving or stopped, and if the driver of the truck fell asleep behind the wheel.

[Tax-chick]

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the truck had run into the back of an SUV on Interstate 20 at around 4:30 a.m., which led to the truck crossing the median, tipping onto its side and catching fire, the Longview News-Journal reported.

Very sad situation.

[mabarker1]

More at LINK including Audio of Article.

Prayers for DGR Team.

Only good thing is that there’s a great Medical System in that area.

[CodeJockey]

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the truck had run into the back of an SUV on Interstate 20 at around 4:30 a.m., which led to the truck crossing the median, tipping onto its side and catching fire, the Longview News-Journal reported.

Texting? Falling asleep at the wheel? Normally you don’t run into the back of other vehicles?

[mabarker1]

Sad news from Texas Highway Patrol. DGR hauler driver Steven Stotts was pronounced dead at the scene. Passengers John Zaverl and Michael Mizzelle are in stable condition. Driver of the other vehicle involved is in stable condition. They were taking ARCA car to Phoenix.

[jughandle]

My first thought was the other driver giving him a “brake check”, slamming on your brakes in front of someone to cause a wreck or some road-rage revenge. Dash cam would tell, if it survived.

[mabarker1]

Don’t know details but IIRC that section of IH-20 is not well lit. Maybe the other vehicle was running without lights. Fatigue of Hauler is possible, Moorseville to the accident location is a pretty boring drive.

[nascarnation]

Or maybe the driver fell asleep. They are out of Mooresville NC.

[mabarker1]

Yes it is.

[Tell It Right]

All that matters is if a rope was tied with a “noose” loop. /s

[Bob434]

U less their brake lights aren’t working, and the driver of the behicle,behind is distracted momentarily, like even just looking In rear view mirror or out side window or something

[ProtectOurFreedom]

A couple years ago, we were headed out of town on I-680 in the Bay Area around 4:30 AM. Traffic was very light since it was the beginning of the pandemic and everything was shut down. The road was very dark and traffic almost non-existant.

Some distance ahead of us, maybe a half mile, there were a lot of emergency lights on the right side of the interstate. My wife slowed and moved over one lane to the left. There were no cars anywhere near us. Suddenly, we came upon a parked car on the roadway in the left two lanes, turned 90 degrees to the direction of travel. We must have missed T-Boning it by a foot or less.

It was the perfect combination — dark night, distraction of emergency flashing lights ahead on the right side of the road, an unexpected parked car at 90 degrees on the left side of the interstate.

It was unbelievable and we thanked God that he got us through that safely.

[Bob434]

Wow. I had something similar, happen when was traveling a round the us once in a suburban. I was on a long treeless road, no hills, nothing. Just straight going. No cars In Sight or so I thought. I dunno how I missed seeing the car on the side of the road before i got to it, but I did.

my dog got into a box of paper towels in the back, and was just ripping them to shreds, and pieces were flying everywhere because the windows were open. I finally noticed it, and looked up in the mirror to see the dog going crazy with the box, and I looked back over my shoulder, quickly, to see the mess, and when I looked back around again, I was maybe 1/2 foot or so from smashing into a car on the side of the road.

God certainly watched over me too. A 1/2 foot or so more to the right (I think I steered right a bit when I looked over my shoulder), and it woild have been curtains no doubt. It shook me up that I didn’t see the car in the first place. I dunno if I saw it and it didn’t register, or I just didn’t see it at all. But I mean this was truly out in the middle of nowhere, no other cars around for miles.

[mabarker1]

Damned it !! That’s too close.

One if My Thank You God close ones. Broad daylight, perfect weather and I’d been up for 36+ hours. Driving though Austin, TX on the upper level of IH-35N which is 2 lanes elevated probably 60-80’ and I was bone tired doing 75mph in the left lane and dozed off for a second and when I snapped awake I was about 6” from the LR corner of a car and getting closer. Well that adrenaline rush kept Me awake the next 12 miles to home.

I no longer even let Myself get close to drowsy after that rodeo.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Yikes, that's a heart-pounder, for sure.

I drove to Oregon to watch the eclipse in August 2017. I was planning on going to Madras, Oregon, but, because of the heavy wildfire smoke, I drove a lot further east to get to clear air. It was too far to drive back to Redmond, OR to stay at my motel, so I "camped" in my car the night before on BLM land. Trying to sleep in the driver's seat was horribly uncomfortable and I got zero good sleep that night.

The eclipse was absolutely spectacular. I viewed from a high hill overlooking the John Day River with a couple dozen other people from around the USA and Germany.

On the way home, I was dog-tired from no sleep and could feel myself getting drowsy. I planned to find a spot to pull over to nap, but it was too late. I dozed off and drifted to the right. Oregon has rumble strips just to the right of the right-side lane line and they woke me up! I know about your adrenaline rush. My God was I scared. Fortunately, I didn't panic and got the car back in the lane. The guy behind me saw what was happening and had dropped WAY back as he expected to see a head-on in front of him or me rolling over the drop-off to the right side.

Like you, I won't get anywhere near drowsy again. On the bright side, the location was spectacular and the eclipse was amazing. Here's a photo of the location on the hill over the John Day river. The eclipse shadow came from that direction toward us.

Here's my "campsite" where I didn't get any sleep. I made a viewing screen for our telescope which worked great for watching the image of the eclipse. I was testing it out here the night before using it on the actual eclipse.

[Sergio]

It’s a little past midnight and I’m stopped at a red light with one car in front of me.

I decide to change the CD. I happened to drop the CD into the footwell on the passenger side. I bend down to get the case and reach it with a little effort.

I look up and see that the light had changed to green and car in front of me was almost through the intersection. As I start to advance, a loaded Semi barrels through the intersection at around 45 to 50 MPH.

Had the CD case not fallen and had I proceeded as I usually do when the light turns green, that Semi would have t-boned me on my side and I doubt I would have survived.

I didn’t drop that CD case...God did it for me.

[Bob434]

wow- certainly an intervention there-

[Bob434]

yep- falling asleep is scary scary stuff- i have sleep apnea- and certain meds i was on made me drowsy, and driving became an issue for me as i was constantly fighti9ng to stay awake, and would doze briefly from time to time- i didn’t realize it was the meds at the time- then i came off them and it’s no longer an issue thankfully-