Viper Driver Dies - Driver's Fault
- Thread starter Bobpantax
- Start date
kcobean
Enthusiast
Funny you should joke about that....in '95 I had a Stealth R/T and the ABS in the car would randomly shut off and trigger the ABS light on the dash. This happened once as I was rounding a corner into a single-lane railroad underpass I didn't know was there. My front tires locked, I slid wide on the turn and hit a woman in a Dodge Colt E coming out of the underpass head-on. Fortunately I had scrubbed off enough speed that my airbag didn't deploy, and other than some minor body work my car was fine. The lady's car however, was totalled.
BlackSnake99
Enthusiast
broken headlight would total a Colt.
I am not sure I am buying the authenticity of the 'witness' email. Did a witness to your crash go unprompted to the Dodge Colt forums to give testimony? To describe the failed but heroic efforts of the driver to save others by crashing into a tree? Maybe I'm a cynic, just seems strange.
kcobean
Enthusiast
broken headlight would total a Colt.
I am not sure I am buying the authenticity of the 'witness' email. Did a witness to your crash go unprompted to the Dodge Colt forums to give testimony? To describe the failed but heroic efforts of the driver to save others by crashing into a tree? Maybe I'm a cynic, just seems strange.
If you remember what the old Colt's were like, it was an econobox piece of junk. The mass of the Stealth (they were tanks) hitting her at a 45 degree angle, it folded the left front suspension under like a twig. The car couldn't have been worth 4 or 5 grand, so the damage didn't have to go too high to make it a loss.
As for the authenticity of the witness, no idea if they're on the level, but he gave his name and phone number, so he was in no way anonymous about it. I can't see what the motivation to lie would be.
Who knows.
And eventually it may become public knowledge since the passenger lived. If the police have not already interviewed the passenger, they will if they are competent.
WILDASP
Enthusiast
"We watched the vehicle headed towards the intersection swerving around approximately six vehicles before it crashed......"
"Despite traveling at a high rate of speed, the driver seemed to have excellent control maneuvering through traffic. This continued until he approached the blocked intersection. At that point there was no where to go. It appeared the driver avoided hitting other vehicles at the intersection by slamming into the tree on the side of the road....."
I've bolded the part of this account that I think goes to the nuts and bolts of the matter. I believe it was posted earlier that the speed limit on this stretch of road is 45mph, so what we have here is a multi-lane road with a fairly low speed limit, indicating some combination of traffic volume, intersections, and possibly side roads/access points. This does not sound to me like a place for "traveling at a high rate of speed" and "swerving around approximately six vehicles"!
So, let's assume this account is entirely accurate; if so, we have an "heroic" attempt by a driver to avoid a situation which he should have never got into in the first place! THAT, PEOPLE, IS THE BOTTOM LINE!! For those who still do not understand why some of us constantly warn against playing in a Viper on public roads, this is why! No matter how much control you think you have, the plain fact is that all it takes is coming upon one, just one, hazard you did not/could not anticipate, to put you in a situation you cannot get out of, regardless of your capabilities, or those of the car! True, this can also happen at more sedate speeds (so can mechanical failure, if there was one), but if/when it does, you have a better chance to use your skills, and the capabilities of the car, to avoid disaster, or at least survive it. If you're going to bet your life, it makes sense to stack the odds in your favor, which is why the track is the best place for doing that (there are fewer uncontrollable variables to deal with). At least, if you must play on the street, pick a spot where something unforeseen that you can't deal with is a bit less likely! This obviously was not such a spot, and that's not "20-20 hindsight" or"Monday morning quarterbacking"; it's common sense.
So, as far as this one is concerned, alcohol or not, possible mechanical failure or not, heroic attempt or not, my opinion still stands: this incident did not have to happen, and the root cause of it is poor judgment and driver error. The street is the most dangerous "track" any of us will ever drive on, and if this opinion seems harsh, so are the real world consequences of failing to appreciate that fact. I'm afraid this tragedy is best remembered as an example of what not to do.
"Despite traveling at a high rate of speed, the driver seemed to have excellent control maneuvering through traffic. This continued until he approached the blocked intersection. At that point there was no where to go. It appeared the driver avoided hitting other vehicles at the intersection by slamming into the tree on the side of the road....."
I've bolded the part of this account that I think goes to the nuts and bolts of the matter. I believe it was posted earlier that the speed limit on this stretch of road is 45mph, so what we have here is a multi-lane road with a fairly low speed limit, indicating some combination of traffic volume, intersections, and possibly side roads/access points. This does not sound to me like a place for "traveling at a high rate of speed" and "swerving around approximately six vehicles"!
So, let's assume this account is entirely accurate; if so, we have an "heroic" attempt by a driver to avoid a situation which he should have never got into in the first place! THAT, PEOPLE, IS THE BOTTOM LINE!! For those who still do not understand why some of us constantly warn against playing in a Viper on public roads, this is why! No matter how much control you think you have, the plain fact is that all it takes is coming upon one, just one, hazard you did not/could not anticipate, to put you in a situation you cannot get out of, regardless of your capabilities, or those of the car! True, this can also happen at more sedate speeds (so can mechanical failure, if there was one), but if/when it does, you have a better chance to use your skills, and the capabilities of the car, to avoid disaster, or at least survive it. If you're going to bet your life, it makes sense to stack the odds in your favor, which is why the track is the best place for doing that (there are fewer uncontrollable variables to deal with). At least, if you must play on the street, pick a spot where something unforeseen that you can't deal with is a bit less likely! This obviously was not such a spot, and that's not "20-20 hindsight" or"Monday morning quarterbacking"; it's common sense.
So, as far as this one is concerned, alcohol or not, possible mechanical failure or not, heroic attempt or not, my opinion still stands: this incident did not have to happen, and the root cause of it is poor judgment and driver error. The street is the most dangerous "track" any of us will ever drive on, and if this opinion seems harsh, so are the real world consequences of failing to appreciate that fact. I'm afraid this tragedy is best remembered as an example of what not to do.
SexyOregonian01
Enthusiast
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I know Spencer, he was the owner of the nightclub I went to every Saturday night as well as my friend. He was such a great guy, he had a huge heart and awesome personality. He always knew how to have a good time. I know it says that alcohol was involved in the accident but I seriously doubt he was drunk. If he was then that was totally out of character for him. When he lived in Oregon and went out drinking he NEVER drove drunk and he never let his friends drive drunk either. This is a horrible tragedy and so many people are grieving over his death. Thank you to all that have sent your condolences to his friends and family.
