Trucker on Facebook at time of deadly Arizona crash, records show

Thanks. Now I get it.

 

Here is a link to the dash cam video. I am wondering why the police car was sit sitting in the travel lane with no lights on?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1Tc0qtLA2E

 

Your question prompted me to go back and full screen the video with stop action, which I recommend for folks to see the lateral G's recorded on the video and how violent the crash was for the trucker. The only thing I can think is that the vehicles ahead of the trooper's car that was blocking the right lane were so close to the edge of the right lane that the trooper placed himself in that lane to make sure oncoming traffic didn't endanger the lives of the emergency responders.

It could have been a fresh accident scene and more troopers were on the way to secure the site. In no way IMHO does this absolve the trucker from full responsibility for hitting that trooper. There was PLENTY of time to see the trooper's car in the lane, with his emergency lights flashing, for the trucker to change lanes and slow down. If it were me I'd also put on my 4-ways while approaching the scene to warn drivers behind me of a hazard ahead.

 

If he hadnt been listening to crappy music he wouldnt have been so bored............

 

It was not my intent in any way to absolve the trucker of his negligence. As you can see, I am still a wanabe. It seemed odd to me that the police vehicle was parked where it was. After reading the posts, I have a better understanding of why it was there.

 

This bit from the news story sure makes me shake my head...

"He was in Facebook looking at "photographs of several women in provocative positions, wearing little clothing," "photographs of a woman in a low cut dress," and photos of a man "smoking something," according to the reports obtained this morning.

Espinoza had also used his phone to look at Facebook, YouTube, female escort web pages, porn sites and social networks on other occasions when he was logged in as driving, investigators said."

 

The officer was counting on every driver traveling on the highway to be alert and paying attention to what they were doing. His confidence was misplaced, and to be honest, he should have known better. Still not excusing the truck driver's behavior.

 

Because I considered it an unbelievable comment to be even questioning anything on the trooper's part.
This case is clearly & solely due to the criminal negligence of the truck driver, as the tape shows he drove for a minimum of 10 seconds without looking forward.
Next time you (anyone) are on the highway, try shutting your eyes and counting to 10 full seconds, doing 65-70mph.
That may give you some idea of the trucker's negligence,, if you survive.

There were also a minimum of 3 other emergency vehicles on the shoulder, just past the trooper's car that he first struck.
(he ended up plowing into all of them) That in itself posed a safety risk to those vehicles and occupants.
Whether or not there was another trooper farther back is immaterial. The trooper's car that was struck was protecting that lane of traffic, so vehicles could not jeopardize the safety of the crew ahead. What protection to them would it be if he had parked behind them, on the same shoulder?

The trooper was not negligent, however the truck driver was abundantly negligent, to say the least.
The trooper had his flashers on (back window & rear, but no bar lights).
Bar lights should not be an issue, because even on the video, I could see the trooper's car a full 10 sec in advance.
In "real life" I'm sure the trooper's car w/flashers on, would be visible much more in advance.

So just trying to ask "why the trooper's car was there" is not pertinent to what caused this fatality, and taking a side-track in the wrong direction.
JMO, and hope you can better understand where I was coming from.

 

Doesn't matter what he was looking at. He shouldn't have had the phone in his hand while driving, period. This type of statement is only designed to appeal to the sensibilities of the general public.

Yes, I report drivers that I observe driving while watching TV or messing with their laptop on the passenger seat or on the steering wheel. And yes, I get called a 'snitch' by other TTR members for doing this. Maybe this incident makes me less of a 'snitch'?

 

I disagree. While the truck driver is clearly responsible for the tragedy, the trooper along with all of the emergency services personnel at the scene contributed to this incident, IMO. If the trooper hadn't been blocking the lane, this whole incident would not have happened. The driver never left his lane until he hit the trooper's car. If that car wasn't there, he'd have breezed right past the whole thing. Everything and everyone else was on the shoulder.