Driver dead after colliding with 'hazardous' slow-moving semitruck

Is it possible that part of the road doesn’t have a shoulder? If it did have a shoulder the 5mph truck shouldn’t have been in a travel lane. If it derates pull the speed sensor or call a tow truck.

 

I have no idea how all trucks are programmed, but my 2019 International derates to 75% when there’s a DEF issue, it’s my understanding that it doesn’t drop down to 5% for 500 miles. So if it was that, shame on him for being on the road.

I did have a bus derate down to 5% once due to a computer glitch, I did have to crawl down a 2-lane state highway in Arkansas for about a half mile (no usable shoulder). Flashers on, of course, and I got it off the highway at the first possible chance, pulling into a church parking lot. There’s no valid excuse for driving down the road like that for any significant amount of time, as reported.

And there’s no excuse for being so unaware of the road in front of you that you hit a stopped (or practically stopped) vehicle. I almost hit a truck pulling out from the shoulder at 5 mph on I-40 just west of Nashville (hilly, twisty road, I was going at least 60 mph, and cars alongside so I couldn’t change lanes), but I was able to brake enough to not rear-end him (and amazingly, no one hit me!).

 

The derate behavior changes from year to year. I had a 2009 International/Cummins derate right in the middle of five o'clock traffic in Houston once. It was on a slight incline. The engine would run, but it died every time I tried to let out the clutch. I couldn't even make it out of my lane onto the shoulder. The truck had to be towed. I really do hope they've changed that behavior by now.

 

That happened to me yesterday in Texas,

 

This is unfortunate. RIP driver. I think people have to bot be so obsessed with maintaining speed. I talk constantly with other drivers about anticipatory driving.....you have to expect the unexpected. If a driver is paying attention, then he will have enough time to slow down some. Can't just look at the speedometer and front end of the truck, one has to look a good ways ahead. It's to a point now, where I almost know when a vehicle will pull out in front, or in this case if it's a slow driver, ill be looking to slow down or for an escape option(lane change).

 

Doesn’t matter what the reason is, if you’re only going 5mph you have no business being in a travel lane. Wonder how many “almost wrecks” happened behind him as he drove along 60mph under the speed limit.

 

I agree!

if you can’t maintain a reasonable speed PARK THE #### THING!
I don’t care if it’s hos or break down related.

Even if I’m coming to a stop because of an accident my flasher are on, I’m calling out in the CB and I’m blowing my air horn!
I want to make as much noise and sight so someone doesn’t rear end me, I’ll put it in the grass before I do 5mph on the freeway

 

I hope it wasn't a rookie in the front doing what their trainer in structed. Or a professional in the back truck watching their phone.
Condolences

 

Again, it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure this out. If you are looking straight ahead, and not sleeping, how could you not see this? I mean, what, do these people bump into other people at the grocery store? Of course they were looking at their phone, let's not call it anything else.

 

I was driving up I-35 towards Dallas one evening and was slowly overtaking another truck. It was right at sundown, so the light was dimming but not dark, and I could see that he was overtaking a relatively slow moving SUV (45-50 mph?). The SUV didn’t have his lights on, but I could still see him quite clearly. I backed off so that the other trucker could move over to pass him, but he never even swerved, ran right into the SUV! Knocked the rear bumper right off, and the SUV veered off into the ditch, through a barbed wire fence, and into a field!

I called the state police to report it and an officer called me back the next day for a statement. I told him the above and he told me that was pretty much what the evidence showed. The SUV driver had a suspended license, was driving very slow with no lights after sunset, and they weren’t charging the truck driver with anything.

I didn’t say anything else to the cop, but I definitely thought it was an avoidable accident.

 

SUV driver was probably either drunk,driving with no insurance or both!