Posted on 11/05/2017 11:11:33 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - It's the interstate many of you have sworn to never travel again.
Just this summer, Interstate 70 was the host of several horrific accidents, in a matter of days.
But why is that? That is why we are taking a look into what makes I-70 so dangerous.
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They are the titans of the road; the giants of the interstate. They are semis.
“…semis carry 80 thousand pounds of weight.”
Big to all, scary to some. But to Corban Matney, they're a way of life.
"Altogether, I've been driving about 30 years."
As a semi-truck driver for a local company out of Illinois, this seemingly wild, wild I-70 east and west, is his home so to speak.
But lately… “Within the last 10 years, it's become an icon of danger.”
His home has gotten a deadly reputation and he has personally felt the sting.
"The driver who failed to slow down is identified as 61-year-old James Medley of Crawfordsville, Indiana. Medley was dead at the scene." This was a previous News 10 story we did on an I-70 accident.
"He was a good friend of mine. I rode with him for several years and he was one of them that passed away.” A fellow driver and a friend.
Years later, the story is the same, even if the people are different. Just recently a family with small children.
In July a two semi-trucks and one car collided near the 16-mile marker.
Indiana State Police say a semi driver did not slow down in a construction zone which caused him to slam into a mini-van. The force caused the van to smash into another semi-truck.
Two children, a one-year-old and a five-year-old, died in that accident.
“Oh, it breaks my heart. It tears me up because it's those children involved. It shouldn't have happened.... I believe it could have been prevented.”
Semis, I-70 and fatalities; lately they seem to go together. But we don't always know why.
Matney does have some thoughts though. “It has a lot to do with the young drivers that have flooded the interstate. That I don't think have the patience.” He's not afraid to call out some of his fellow semi drivers; but that's just one of his concerns.
“It's like they never get done with the construction on this Interstate. A lot of times anymore, I'll take U.S. 40 because there's less traffic, and I feel safer.”
And perhaps, most importantly, Matney says you the driver play a role in your own safety. “Now they can go fast, but they also die. You have a wreck at 70, 80 miles per hour in these car that are made of real thin tin anymore, you die. There's no maybes about it. You collide with a semi, you die.”
Direct yes, but Matney knows the score. In the game of traveling this notorious stretch, he doesn't like your chances against these mobile giants.
I’ve heard the same about many younger drivers. No longer the Princes of the Highway.
I was a “professional” driver for a while. Buses and occasional straight trucks. The heavier responsibility I bore for my passengers and other drivers was always on my mind.
I was also the recipient of a hit and run by a semi-driver who made a right turn from the left lane with no signal.
I didn’t realize it had such a reputation. I can say I remarked to my wife, while driving that stretch, that this was strange. Almost no cars, yet all lanes filled with semis.
A enormous number of semi drivers are immigrants who speal little English nor can read it. I deal with dozens every week.Their traing is poor but thew work cheap which is the only reason thet are here.
darn phone.
I’m sure there are plenty of Horror Stories related to I-70?
Let me add that it’s more than likely that those stories would fade to nothingness, when people open up about travel on I-17 between Phoenix and Flagstaff. Especially in the summer on any given weekend, and twice as bad on a Holiday. In short, -YOU couldn’t buy a Cop , and the State of AZ’s answer is: WELL, ... we just don’t have it in the BUDGET.....so, all Y’all .. are on your own.
Happy Motoring!
My $0.02: I-70 filled with trucks because of the death of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
The traffic had to go somewhere. It ended up on the (public-funded) interstate highways.
I have not been on that stretch in over a decade, but you nailed it. I was in my pickup and felt like a bug on the road with millions of elephants.
Truly, it was a bizarre experience.
I-70 leads to Mexico. Hmmm
especially fun in winter
I am a long time driver, pull doubles on that stretch of road every day. Our trucks are equipped with active radar-based distance and braking systems to help us avoid such collisions. We also have had ELD systems on our trucks for several years to disallow over-hours driving. That being said, I have a complete disrespect for the vast majority of motorists out there who drive around us as if we are nothing more than obstacles to be overcome. Those drivers DO act as if we are not important in any way and regularly take their own lives in their hands.
Been that way for awhile now, But at least you can stop for White Castles!!!!
Its not only I-70. I-80 is all semi’s across Illinois. The increased traffic is because of the logistics warehouses popping up like mushrooms. Regional distribution reduces cost. I-80 in Illinois is a major artery for Chicagoland like I-70 in Indiana is for Indianapolis. I would bet there are a ton of centers around Indy.
They've been "popping up like mushrooms", as a wise person once said. ;)
The west-side suburbs, especially Plainfield and Avon, have had distribution centers become a major presence in the last 2 decades.
This is where I am from. Traveled on it many times. The city of Terre Haute is now patrolling I-70 through there because of all the accidents. My brother-in-law is a police officer there. Most of the accidents are distracted drivers not paying attention to actually driving. Also not heeding the speed limit for construction zones. My family avoids I-70 and travels US 40 instead.
The first thing drivers are taught is the importance of following distance and it’s the first thing they forget. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to tell a trainee to pull over after warning them about speed and following distance.
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