More horror on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge

[marmar]

Trucker dies as big-rig plummets off SF bridge

By SUDHIN THANAWALA, AP
2 hours ago


SAN FRANCISCO — An accident-plagued stretch of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge saw its first fatality Monday when the driver of a speeding big rig lost control and the truck plummeted 200 feet from the span, authorities said.

The truck hauling a full load of pears was traveling about 50 mph — 10 mph over the speed limit — when the driver lost control on a westbound S-curve, California Highway Patrol Sgt. Trent Cross said.

The rig hit a rail and went over the side, landing on Yerba Buena Island.

"The driver was going way too fast," Cross said.

The name of the trucker killed in the crash was not released.

Authorities said the speed coupled with the shifting load propelled the truck over the side of the bridge. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20091110/US.Bridge.Crash/

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. How dreadful...

Probably working on an impossible deadline.

:-(

[petronius]

2. That really sucks - poor guy

I guess 10 mph over the limit is really fast for a truck? I can think of few if any curves where that much over would matter in my car...

[cherokeeprogressive]

4. A shifting load + a center of gravity probably 4x as times high as your car...

[petronius]

6. It makes sense - I just would have guessed that even a truck would have

a little more leeway...

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

9. That particular curve is an absolute menace. I can't wait until they finish the new east span.

People either try to take it way too fast, or simply ignore its existence and end up crossing lanes without even really realizing it (hence all the fender benders.) You would think with all the added signage people would pay attention, but this is Northern California, where people think it's perfectly OK to do 90 in traffic when it's pouring down rain.

[XemaSab]

11. As opposed to Southern California

where a light sprinkle means people are driving like it's a blizzard? :P

[regnaD kciN]

13. There's something like it on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, too...

I once had to take that curve in the outside lane in a converted mail truck. Let's just say it took me several years before I was willing to drive that bridge again...

[proteus_lives]

3. Awful.

Sounds like something out of a bad action movie.

[stevedeshazer]

5. I'm a truck driver, and this is my worst nightmare.

Whenever I cross a bridge, it's always in the back of my mind that I could be blown or knocked over the guardrail because the box of my truck acts like a windsail.

:scared:

The acrophobia doesn't help, either.

[Rhiannon12866]

8. Wow. My sympathies to you...

Bridges terrify me, too, especially if it's windy, but all I have to deal with is way too much crap in the trunk of my car... :scared:

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

7. It's only by sheer luck that nobody else got killed.

First of all, fifty is way, *way* too fast for a truck to be taking that curve. Hell, driving it at 40 in a car in anything but very light traffic is iffy. Second, the curve, road layout change, and speed change are signed waaaaaaay in advance of the actual curve - flashing lights, the whole nine yards. You'd need to intentionally ignore the signage to try to take that turn at that speed. There's simply no way you could miss it. This guy intentionally disregarded the warnings.

[wpelb]

10. The driver was from Hayward

I've heard elsewhere that the driver was from Hayward. Hayward is in the Bay Area, between Oakland and San Jose. The driver had to have been aware of the hazard. How many hours had he been working when the accident occurred?

The curve warning signs along roads are probably meant more for trucks than for cars. In a truck, I believe you should go 5-10 mph slower than the posted speed for cars. In other words, if a curve is signed for 45 mph, you should go 35-40 at the most. If it's wet or there are other hazards, slowing down even more is probably in order. But, as others have pointed out, many drivers in the area go way over the speed limit in the rain or when other hazards are present.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

12. It's impossible to drive the bridge and *not* be aware of the hazard.

Caltrans has the signage for the new alignment lit up like a goddamn Christmas tree. That said, it's still a sketchy piece of road, and it freaked me out the first time I drove it.