Fatal Crash - Route 100 in Killington

[Bostonian]

Just saw this come up on my news feed:

The first winter storm of the season has proved deadly in Vermont. Three people were killed Tuesday afternoon in an accident involving a tractor-trailer.


http://www.wcax.com/story/30848657/3-killed-in-killington-crash

Hope everyone here on AZ is safe - the roads were nasty today going to and from work.

 

[thetrailboss]

Saw that. It's too bad.

 

[HowieT2]

Not surprised. I hate that section of roadway. They don't sand it enough and it's a steep grade with speeds in both directions of 50. I've had to use the rumble strips on the center median to get traction with snow tires on the suv.
looks like the tractor trailer jackknifed on the way down into the oncoming suv. Terrible.

 

[frapcap]

MAN. That sucks

 

[steamboat1]

Wrong place at the wrong time for the SUV it seems. Trucker should've known how to use his gears for slowing down, not his brakes. Where the accident happened is a 40mph zone. Coming downhill, as the trucker was, the 40mph sign is well above the impact point.

My condolences to the families & friends of those killed & hope for a speedy recovery for those injured.

 

[Highway Star]

Detailed pic of accident, NSFL:

http://wcax.images.worldnow.com/images/9546618_G.jpg

Appears to be a 3rd gen Cadillac Escalade ('07-'14), black, with New York plates.............

http://lifestylesdefined.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2007-Cadillac-Escalade.jpg

 

[Highway Star]

Wrong place at the wrong time for the SUV it seems. Trucker should've known how to use his gears for slowing down, not his brakes. Where the accident happened is a 40mph zone. Coming downhill, as the trucker was, the 40mph sign is well above the impact point.

My condolences to the families & friends of those killed & hope for a speedy recovery for those injured.

Wait, what? Engine braking causes uncontrolled skidding in a low traction situation, improper use of a Jake brake may have caused this. Very icy up there today.

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...e-braking-vs-foot-braking-in-snow-ice.131336/

 

[drjeff]

Detailed pic of accident, NSFL:

http://wcax.images.worldnow.com/images/9546618_G.jpg

Appears to be a 3rd gen Cadillac Escalade ('07-'14), black, with New York plates.............

http://lifestylesdefined.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2007-Cadillac-Escalade.jpg

That impact looks like it was HUGE!! I know the angle can make it look worse, but it looks like that Escalade is completely crushed all the way back top the 2nd row of seats

RIP

 

[deadheadskier]

The crash happened on Route 4 in Killington near the junction of Route 100 and the Killington access road

I'm having a hard time understanding where this occurred based upon this description. Road speeds are pretty slow around the 4/100/access road intersection.

Did this occur up 4 towards Pico or down 4 towards Aspen East?

Very sad.

 

[Highway Star]

That impact looks like it was HUGE!! I know the angle can make it look worse, but it looks like that Escalade is completely crushed all the way back top the 2nd row of seats

RIP

Based on the lack of damage to the trailer, and the smashed up cab (frame looks mangled), it looks like somebody (likely the tractor trailer coming down the hill) crossed the center line due to the slick conditions, pushing the SUV back after impact, and ending up over the guardrail. If you look closely at the pic below, that is not a normal shape for a big rig to be in after a jack knife crash.

http://wcax.images.worldnow.com/images/9546433_G.jpg

 

[cdskier]

I'm having a hard time understanding where this occurred based upon this description. Road speeds are pretty slow around the 4/100/access road intersection.

Did this occur up 4 towards Pico or down 4 towards Aspen East?

Very sad.

I haven't been in that area in a few years so can't remember exactly what is around where. Someone more familiar with the area might be able to pinpoint it exactly based on this picture though as there are a number of buildings in the background....

http://wcax.images.worldnow.com/images/9546433_G.jpg

 

[Keelhauled]

It sure looks to me like the bottom of the east end of the pass from Pico and Rutland.

 

[Highway Star]

I haven't been in that area in a few years so can't remember exactly what is around where. Someone more familiar with the area might be able to pinpoint it exactly based on this picture though as there are a number of buildings in the background....

http://wcax.images.worldnow.com/images/9546433_G.jpg

Exactly:

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.664...wYE0EWA21vNmrI_N7A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

 

[deadheadskier]

That picture makes it a bit more clear.

Fairly shocking for that horrific of a crash to occur in that location. Speeds shouldn't be that high there. When I first heard of the accident I assumed further east on 4 down the big hill towards the pasta pot.

 

[cdskier]

Exactly:

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.664...wYE0EWA21vNmrI_N7A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

So about 1/2 mile from the 100/Access Road Intersection back towards Pico. Thanks! I never liked Rt 4 in that whole stretch between the Access Rd and Rutland. In the comments in the WCAX article someone said that the truck slid sideways down the road and the Escalade had nowhere to go. Absolutely horrible accident.

 

[Highway Star]

So about 1/2 mile from the 100/Access Road Intersection back towards Pico. Thanks! I never liked Rt 4 in that whole stretch between the Access Rd and Rutland. In the comments in the WCAX article someone said that the truck slid sideways down the road and the Escalade had nowhere to go. Absolutely horrible accident.

Likely the truck lost control, but to me it looks like a very quick split second head on collision with the tractor, at full speed. Not likely the entire trailer clothes-lined the SUV, it would take at least a couple seconds for a truck to get this far across the road. The downhill side of Rt 4 is surprisingly narrow, it doesn't take much to be over into the up hill passing lane. And if someone is in the uphill passing lane, focused on passing slower traffic, bunch of people in the car.....well, you get this.

 

[mulva]

Very sad to hear. I hate driving that section in bad conditions. I take it slow AF (Subaru, snows) even when it's just flurries and look like a dork with my PA plates and little family and crap but it's not a place to mess around in bad conditions. People, please be safe out there. Really just sucks to hear this. I'll pass this spot Thursday morning and will be thinking of the family as I go by. Just terrible, so sad.

 

[drjeff]

Based on the lack of damage to the trailer, and the smashed up cab (frame looks mangled), it looks like somebody (likely the tractor trailer coming down the hill) crossed the center line due to the slick conditions, pushing the SUV back after impact, and ending up over the guardrail. If you look closely at the pic below, that is not a normal shape for a big rig to be in after a jack knife crash.

http://wcax.images.worldnow.com/images/9546433_G.jpg

Likely the truck lost control, but to me it looks like a very quick split second head on collision with the tractor, at full speed. Not likely the entire trailer clothes-lined the SUV, it would take at least a couple seconds for a truck to get this far across the road. The downhill side of Rt 4 is surprisingly narrow, it doesn't take much to be over into the up hill passing lane. And if someone is in the uphill passing lane, focused on passing slower traffic, bunch of people in the car.....well, you get this.

It almost looks from the tire marks in the accident picture (which based on what looks like smoke coming from the rough tractor trailer engine area, the relatively small number of cars backed up on 4 West behind the trailer and what looks like bystanders trying to run/walk quick around the back of the trailer to try and help the accident victims) that the tractor trailer was already ?sliding? out of control in the West bound lanes as it was heading East as the slush on the yellow line area is untouched back by where the stopped pickup is and you don't see that center line slush "disturbed" until after what looks like the post collision debris field begins

Almost makes it look like from the skids, the almost straight on appearing damage to the Escalade , the lack of damage to the trailer, and the major damage to the truck that the driver of the truck lost control coming down the hill from the direction of Pico, had crossed over the center lines in the curve to the Pico side of the accident site and was almost over to the breakdown lane of the West bound side of 4 based on where the larger debris pieces are, and then had basically a head on collision with the Escalade which was starting to climb up the pass, in the right lane heading towards Pico, with the jack knifing of the trailer occurring post collision

 

[BenedictGomez]

Good lord this is awful. Poor people likely never even had any split second chance or hope of evasive action.

 

[Highway Star]

It almost looks from the tire marks in the accident picture (which based on what looks like smoke coming from the rough tractor trailer engine area, the relatively small number of cars backed up on 4 West behind the trailer and what looks like bystanders trying to run/walk quick around the back of the trailer to try and help the accident victims) that the tractor trailer was already ?sliding? out of control in the West bound lanes as it was heading East as the slush on the yellow line area is untouched back by where the stopped pickup is and you don't see that center line slush "disturbed" until after what looks like the post collision debris field begins

Almost makes it look like from the skids, the almost straight on appearing damage to the Escalade , the lack of damage to the trailer, and the major damage to the truck that the driver of the truck lost control coming down the hill from the direction of Pico, had crossed over the center lines in the curve to the Pico side of the accident site and was almost over to the breakdown lane of the West bound side of 4 based on where the larger debris pieces are, and then had basically a head on collision with the Escalade which was starting to climb up the pass, in the right lane heading towards Pico, with the jack knifing of the trailer occurring post collision

I'd say the SUV was in the left lane, and was pushed back and sightly right before the tractor-trailer went fully off the road. Otherwise the SUV would be up against the guardrail. The tractor trailer would not have been able to get over to the other side of the road so abruptly without the impact stopping it's forward momentum and shunting it laterally.