Saturday, June 20, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Tire smashes into tractor trailer windshield on 401... From U Haul Trailer
A transport truck with a U-Haul tire embedded in its window sits at the side of Highway 401 at Yonge, Friday, June 19, 2009.
Guy Orphanos remembers wondering where the tire was going to go as he talks to CTV Toronto on Friday, June 19, 2009.
The tire is seen wedged against the steering wheel inside the cab of the truck on Friday, June 19, 2009.Tire smashes into tractor trailer windshield on 401
Updated: Fri Jun. 19 2009 7:35:06 PM
ctvtoronto.ca
A Montreal man is lucky to be alive after a tire smashed through the windshield of his tractor trailer on the westbound Highway 401, near Toronto's Yonge Street on Friday morning.
OPP Sgt. Dave Woodford said the tire struck the driver's side at about 10:30 a.m.
"It's embedded in the windshield," he said.
Guy Orphanos, the 47-year-old driver of the tractor trailer, was not seriously injured. But when he spoke to CTV Toronto, dried blood covered the lower portion of his face. He suffered multiple minor cuts from the flying glass.
"I was coming westbound and I saw the wheel . . . bouncing and it went in my window," Orphanos, who is from Montreal, said. "I was thinking, where is it going to go?"
He said it was fortunate the tire crashed into his big-rig -- which was travelling about 100 kilometres an hour -- rather than a small car with children.
Orphanos said his air-bag didn't release and the steering wheel saved him from the tire's impact.
"I was lucky," he said.
The wheel broke off a four-wheeled U-Haul trailer being towed by a car. The trailer, missing its front right wheel, was impounded by police.
The OPP said it is the first incident involving a U-Haul trailer in two years.
The damaged tractor trailer was also towed to an OPP station in Toronto.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Jim Junkin
Flying tire from U Haul trailer crashes through truckers' windshield on Hwy 401: ‘It was not my day to go up, I think’
Flying tire crashes through truckers' windshield on Hwy 401: ‘It was not my day to go up, I think’
By Emily Senger and Catherine McDonald
A tractor-trailer driver is lucky to be alive after a tire flew off a U-Haul trailer and crashed through his front windshield this morning on Highway 401, police say.
Truck driver Guy Rophanos was near Yonge Street, heading toward Cambridge, at about 10:30 a.m. when a tire struck his vehicle and became embedded in the driver’s side of the windshield, said Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Dave Woodford.
‘‘I saw it bouncing. For a minute I thought, ‘It’s the end.’’’ Mr. Rophanos, 47, a Montreal father of two teenagers told Global News.
With a broken front windshield and a tire wedged against his steering wheel, he was able to pull over to the side of the road and stop his rig. Mr. Rophanos had only minor cuts and scrapes from the broken glass.
‘‘It was not my day to go up, I think,’’ he said.
Sgt. Woodford said he has seen similar accidents in the past, and people have been killed.
“I’ve seen tires go through before, but this one’s embedded in the window, so it’s a bit different,” Sgt. Woodford said. “This guy’s lucky he’s not dead. If it had hit a car, someone might be dead.”
National Post, Global News
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5 Comments
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| by RonMelancon Jun 20 2009 6:33 AM | When you get a moment please go to www.dangeroustrailers.org Please note this whole class of vehicle is dangerous. Please note that No standards are in place for any trailer that is one pound under 3,000 pounds. Your Government along with Our Government does not care about the safety of the public that travels behind these trailers. In the United States since 1976 over 14,810 people have been killed... since 1988 over 449,000 injured and since 1988 over 1,500,000 have been damaged or destroyed. The NATM, U haul and Carry on trailers fought my Reflector Tape law in Virginia because it cost them $8.00 dollars to comply. In the United States we have 8 states that do not require SAFETY CHAINS!!!! We also have lost 8 police officers...2 Fireman and 1 FBI agent and nothing is done. In fact Governor Kaine has complety ignored this findings from the Virginia State Crash Team... Here is the last page of the Crash Team's Report: www.dangeroustrailers.org/.../TA14new.pdf "In Summary, this crash was caused when a homemade trailer detached from the pick up that towed it. It struck a Cadillac traveling in lthe opposing lanes of traffic, fatally injuring the driver. Trailers are a special class of vehicle and all are subject to some requirements regarding lights and chains. While the Code exempts some smaller trailers, those designed to carry over 3000 pounds are required to have brakes and to be inspected beyond the initial visual confirmations of a VIN plate. "HOWEVER, VIRGINIA STATE CODE IS SILENT AS TO ANY DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS FOR THOSE VEHICLES OR FOR TOWING CHAINS AND HITCHES. The purpose of this TECHNICAL ALERT is to draw attention to the POTENTIAL dangers of unsafe trailers on roadways in the Commonwealth. In many cases, towed trailers may be in OBVIOUS violations of safety codes that relate to lighting, braking and inspection requirements. Wherever possible, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS should be trained in ways to quickly and easily identify such vehicles. In other cases, a trailer may meet all legal requirements but still be hazardous when used in transportation. THE TEAM RECOMMENDS THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES, THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE POLICE AND OR MEMBERS OF THE VIRGINIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY REVIEW THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATIVE CODE AND CONSIDER WAYS TO IMPROVE SAFETY WITH REGARD TO TRAILERS OPERATED ON VIRGINIA ROADS. These companies are so in bed with your government and ours... they have given money to Congressman Whittman..... Go here to see what Delegate Pollard has tired to do... In 2005, Pollard patroned legislation which would have redefined a utility trailer so as to exempt it entirely from the requirements of approved reflectors or reflectorized material to outline the trailer. Pollard’s bill (HB4290) defined a utility trailer as a device “whose body and tailgate consist largely or exclusively of mesh and whose end extends 18 inches or more beyond its tail lights.” In 2005, the year of Pollard’s bill to reduce regulation of utility trailers, he received more than $3,200 in campaign money from Richmond and national lobbyists for transportation interests, including independent auto dealers and trucking interests, according to records maintained by the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP.org). Public safety crusader Ron Melancon, who successfully lobbied to remove Pollard’s definition of a utility trailer from the final bill, accuses Pollard of acting at the behest of the trucking and transportation industry to the detriment of public safety. So who am I??? I am a person who works retail... Who is almost in Bankrupsey because I decided to get involved... to try to save peoples lives and to point out that we have a problem. And all I get in return is these companies like U Haul and Carry On trailers that simply want to outspend me and destroy my family. Memo...to the Industry.... I will not give up and when I go in front of the judge.... I will tell the judge why!!! How long are we going to keep letting this happen.. when a loose trailer hits a school bus... It already has.. When it hits police officers? It already has When it hits firemen... It already has... When it hits a politician.... In fact it hit one in Kentucky.... It already has. You name me one product becides a vehicle that you can rent...buy.... that does this much damage This is just not right.....I have been on this for 7 years and nobody is lisening. |
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| by RonMelancon Jun 20 2009 6:34 AM | Here are the U Haul Links from www.dangeroustrailers.org |
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| by RonMelancon Jun 20 2009 6:42 AM | A reporter told me that the OOP did a safety audit on these Utility trailers and found out that over 90 per cent were found to have problems. Can someone find this report and send it to my organization? contact www.dangeroustrailers.org e mail is dusterrm1@comcast.net |
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| by RonMelancon Jun 20 2009 6:49 AM | You see U Haul trailers even hit a United States Congressman.... and he does nothing........ How many more warnings are we going to give this un regulated industry.... Note: The biggest loss leader for St. Pauls insurance company are these trailers... Go here... St. Pauls insurance knows I have this report... they do not publish it anymore!!! I wounder why? Lexington Herald-Leader (KY) October 22, 1997 Edition: Final Section: City & Region Page: B3 STATE ASHLAND RUNAWAY RENTAL TRAILER GIVES BAESLER CLOSE CALL Author: Compiled from Staff, Wire Reports Article Text: U.S. Rep. Scotty Baesler and several other people narrowly escaped injury when a loose U-Haul trailer broke through the glass in a solarium where they were eating lunch at a restaurant. Baesler, D-Lexington, was meeting at the Bluegrass Grill on Monday with several local Democrats about his 1998 campaign for the U.S. Senate when the trailer smashed a window in the glass wall. Jim Wells, driver of a Grand Cherokee pulling the trailer, had just rented the U-Haul at a location a quarter-mile to the east. "He made the curve but the U-Haul didn't," said Ashland lawyer Richard "Sonny" Martin, who was in Baesler's party. Lynn Prichard, another diner at the restaurant, said Baesler had just moved from a seat at the spot where the trailer broke through to talk to Marcus Woodward and Kenny Davis. Others in Baesler's party were Bob Wiseman, an aide to Baesler; Ann Crawford and Sue Ree Lexington Herald-Leader (KY) October 22, 1997 Edition: Final Section: City & Region Page: B3 STATE ASHLAND RUNAWAY RENTAL TRAILER GIVES BAESLER CLOSE CALL Author: Compiled from Staff, Wire Reports Article Text: U.S. Rep. Scotty Baesler and several other people narrowly escaped injury when a loose U-Haul trailer broke through the glass in a solarium where they were eating lunch at a restaurant. Baesler, D-Lexington, was meeting at the Bluegrass Grill on Monday with several local Democrats about his 1998 campaign for the U.S. Senate when the trailer smashed a window in the glass wall. Jim Wells, driver of a Grand Cherokee pulling the trailer, had just rented the U-Haul at a location a quarter-mile to the east. "He made the curve but the U-Haul didn't," said Ashland lawyer Richard "Sonny" Martin, who was in Baesler's party. Lynn Prichard, another diner at the restaurant, said Baesler had just moved from a seat at the spot where the trailer broke through to talk to Marcus Woodward and Kenny Davis. Others in Baesler's party were Bob Wiseman, an aide to Baesler; Ann Crawford and Sue Ree Lexington Herald-Leader (KY) October 22, 1997 Edition: Final Section: City & Region Page: B3 STATE ASHLAND RUNAWAY RENTAL TRAILER GIVES BAESLER CLOSE CALL Author: Compiled from Staff, Wire Reports Article Text: U.S. Rep. Scotty Baesler and several other people narrowly escaped injury when a loose U-Haul trailer broke through the glass in a solarium where they were eating lunch at a restaurant. Baesler, D-Lexington, was meeting at the Bluegrass Grill on Monday with several local Democrats about his 1998 campaign for the U.S. Senate when the trailer smashed a window in the glass wall. Jim Wells, driver of a Grand Cherokee pulling the trailer, had just rented the U-Haul at a location a quarter-mile to the east. "He made the curve but the U-Haul didn't," said Ashland lawyer Richard "Sonny" Martin, who was in Baesler's party. Lynn Prichard, another diner at the restaurant, said Baesler had just moved from a seat at the spot where the trailer broke through to talk to Marcus Woodward and Kenny Davis. Others in Baesler's party were Bob Wiseman, an aide to Baesler; Ann Crawford and Sue Ree |
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| by RonMelancon Jun 20 2009 6:51 AM | Here is the report from St. Pauls... www.dangeroustrailers.org/.../study_utility_trailer_accident.pdf Also here is a memo from CAGC it is from your Country... and guess what has been done??? Nothing.. |
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