Junk pile

Some here have asked about the unique business I own hauling high end insurance salvage for over seas buyers out of IAA
(Insurance Auto Auctions) out of West Virginia twice weekly and see some eye opening stuff.

2011 Porsche 911 with 200 miles on it.

2012 Mustang with a few hundred miles on the clock...failed driver's ed.

Vette vs. choo choo.

Let's be careful out there ~

I don't think that shit is going to buff out!

I worked for 20 years in a big city fire department in a big station near expressways and an interstate. I've been to a couple hundred (guessing) wrecks involving extrication of some sort. A mystery I never solved is the condition of the occupants of the car, based on vehicle physical damage on scene.

We would roll up on a scene in which 2 or more cars were totalled, and we would all expect several fatalities. Incredibly, there were times when there would be only minor injuries. Conversely, we would pull up to what seemed to be a minor collision, and most of the passengers would be seriously injured.

You learn early on to protect yourself with gallows humor, but only when you're back at the station.

One of my favorite, but gruesome, stories: I was working a shift trade on Christmas eve before we had kids. We got a call for a vehicle accident with injuries at X intersection. When we arrived, a load of young, drunk kids had t-boned a BIG, new aluminum light pole, and wrapped the car around it.

I couldn't fit in the window to start working on any of the passengers, so I had to take off my turnout coat to squeeze in the crushed window space. In the front seat, there was a young mom with an infant in her arms, neither of whom was breathing. I'm in the tiny space in the back seat, trying to free mom and baby, and a drunk guy laying in the back seat says: Hey man, watch out, you're stepping on my foot! He was the driver, shitfaced drunk, almost completly unharmed. The other four, including his child, dead.

"Be careful", like Alan says, is good advice. Like some of us, I was given many, many chances during my time as a delinquent and a rounder, escaping with only a few scars. I finally cleaned up without killing or injuring anyone but me, but only through luck. You would think that a guy who peeled dead bodies out of wrecks for a living would have more sense, eh? Some unlucky folks only goof up once. Don't be as dumb as I used to be.

Good testimonial Jim, thanks. Sgt. Phil Esterhaus on Hill Street Blues always dismissed his charges with the line, " and hey, let's be careful out there." Good advice. Life's too precious to let some moment of stupidity cause a untimely end to someone's life and the lives of others.

Did someone say Hill Street Blues?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2QApwtE8zQ

JK

Clock-you can laugh or cry here...your choice:
http://wreckedexotics.com/

Just an hour ago, Sandy and I were traveling on a four lane divided avenue, in medium traffic at 45 MPH. Out of nowhere comes a wheel and tire rolling diagonally across oncoming lanes, across the median and headed straight for our left front fender. A responsive turbo engine pulled us just barely out of harms way.
Where did it come from? No traffic slowed down either way. The errant wheel and tire were going at least traffic speed. No high ground for teenagers to pull a prank. It cleared the road and headed for the adjacent canyon. Is somebody out there on only three wheels? Weird stuff happens.

David - certainly glad to know you & Sandy safely avoided that errant tire. Speaking from 40 years in the medical field (ER, Trauma Center), this happens more often than you'd think and the results are always catastrophic.

Alan - I'm guessing you're WAAAAY more skilled and competent than the ass-hat that got his hauler high-centered on a RR crossing. These pics are from a few years ago at the German AutoFest in Ventura, SoCal. Here's some gut-wrenching pics of some P-cars on that trailer (Speedsters were real deal)...






Tow truck driver on right saying "...I think that'll buff out"!

I remember this, the trucker got hung up on the track grade because a car in front of him had stopped just after the crossing. Any car carrier driver knows that you never put yourself in a situation to get the low clearance trailer "high hung" as he did...
Here's another car carrier professional that decided last second he needed to make a U turn right there. Look closely you'll see he was pulling a four car 27,000 GW rated tri-axle with a single cab F-350 Ford pick up cab and chassis...you can't fix stupid.

Doc, that reminds me of a scene I see a lot with car carriers; always wondered if what I was seeing was stupid and dangerous as I think it is, SOP, or both.

You see a near-empty carrier, nothing on/in it except one Escalade or similar 6,000-lb monster. And where is it? All the way out back, top rack.

Is that the right way to haul or just convenient?

I know it looks odd but a single vehicle on the upper rear is ok, the trailer maintains stablity, the trailer weight is enough with the low center of gravity mass to compensate. Sometimes there is a pending bridge height near the delivery location, it is easy to hyd. drop the rear section for clearance. There is a quite a bit of planning ahead operating a car carrier, rigging knowledge is helpful. Vehicle weight distribution that will work with load order are a part in getting it right with no damages.

The thing that bothers me is that Kathy an I spend two days on the interstates each way when we go back and forth between homes. Every trip we see something absolutely stupid like this. Maybe not always as drastic as these, but stupid nonetheless. I used to think that driving on interstates was much safer than driving around town. Not any more. (Unless you live down where Nolan is in Florida - It's still pretty scary down there)

Right you are Gordon, my wife(car)recently got hit by a school bus, the driver's supervisor showed up to access the damages. The supervisor happened to mention to the police that this was the bus driver's 3rd accident and mostly likely be fired. WRONG! We saw the same bus driver barreling down our street months later. It was unbelievable how fast the school board's insurance settled after we decided not to sue. Got a check within 3 weeks!

On another note, we followed the route our GPS led us on when we programmed it to Avoid Major Highways. We made faster time and encountered less traffic than ever before. We even hit a stretch of three-lane road (highway?)and didn't see another car for nearly 20 minutes.

Unfortunately the more miles we travel the more often we are witness to this.
I run an average of 1,800 to 2,100 miles within a four day work week, hardly a day goes by that I don't come across this. If we all slowed down a bit, could be avoided.

Thanks, Alan. I knew you'd know (re weight distribution in a car carrier). I will rest easier now.