Motorhome Head On

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020522-FM-149-MOTORHOME-HEADON-FATAL-CRASH.00_01_40_29.Still006.jpg
 
I'm not. Basic physics is in their favor - they outweigh that car by more than 12:1. That absorbs nearly all the kinetic energy of the crash. And the cab of the coach is at or above the roof line of the car, so the crash mostly occurs at or below their feet. Some risk of the dashboard moving back and banging knees and legs, though. That's not theortical - my wife & I survived a major front end collision in our 40 ft DP with only a scraped knew and a couple bumps..
 
Terrible, but it gives me some reassurance. I'd have thought the MH would have had more damage and its occupants be either killed as well or very severely injured. (Noticed the curve sign. Likely the SUV rounded it wide. Excessive speed?
 
Yep. About 45,000 lbs MH + toad, versus 4,000 lbs. Looks like their toad was strapped down well enough but still sustained some damage. The car didn't separate from the dolly nor did it go through the back of the MH, and the dolly stayed connected to the MH.

One of the reasons we are in a Super C is because of the better protection for driver/passenger compared to a Class A. Having all that mass up front and a few feet of hood really help.
 
The space between the double lines is certainly wide enough. Just 4" out here. It looks like an entire foot per the photo. Not sure if it did any good, but crossing the lines in the mountains seems to be a common practice.
 
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I agree with the others, the damage to the RV primarily came from the pine tree, not from the head on with the car. People always talk about how unsafe class A's are, yet nearly every accident we see in the real world are something like this where the occupants of the RV are taken to the hospital with minor injuries, and the opposing car looks like it came out of a scrap metal crusher.
 
Isaac-1 said:
I agree with the others, the damage to the RV primarily came from the pine tree, not from the head on with the car. People always talk about how unsafe class A's are, yet nearly every accident we see in the real world are something like this where the occupants of the RV are taken to the hospital with minor injuries, and the opposing car looks like it came out of a scrap metal crusher.
Click to expand...

I think it really depends on the chassis and size of the Class A. Your DP's are not Ford F53's. Just like a Ford E-cutaway is not a Freightliner.
 
From my layman's view it looks like the SUV was probably speeding and went real wide on that curve. The RV tried steering to the right to avoid it, but the SUV smacked the RV in the left front corner and then the RV continued into that tree. Those folks are lucky to be alive, albeit with injuries - notice the blood on that one front panel...
 
garyb1st said:
Just looking at the front end of the motorhome, I'd say most of the damage occurred when it struck the tree.
Click to expand...

I'd say you are correct. The Driver of the MH tried to avoid the SUV. He failed but hit the tree... As Gary said however the physics protected the RVers...
The most likely excessive speed lane drifter was not so lucky.

Kind of like how I got to Ride vintage Steam Powered trains for free...
It all started when some kids decided to beat a 260 ton Steam Locomotive (Same one I got pulled around by) across a crossing.... They lost. The rest of the story as to how I got to ride the train is admistrative stuff (i replaced another ham radio operator, He was not injured by the way.).
 
John, that reminds me of one of the worst accidents I ever saw, mini-van loaded down with young kids being driven by a 17 year old trying to beat a train on Easter Sunday in a small town in rural western Louisiana while we were on our way to my uncles house on Toledo Bend lake. I forget the exact details, but I think it was 5 or 6 killed and a couple of survivors.
 
It could have been a mechanical defect. Not necessarily the driver's fault.

Luke Benodin Killed in Crash with Motor Home on FM 149 in Montgomery County, TX

I've had two defects of which I lost control of the vehicle until I stopped.

The first was in 1974 on a 1968 Mercury Cougar. The driver's seat latch pin broke and I ended up twisting around back with my head resting on the rear seat while driving around a mountain road curve in Big Tujunga, Canyon, CA. I slammed on the brakes. Ford issued a recall in 1975.

My second was in 2018 on my 2016 Ram 2500. The steering linkage suddenly came loose causing the steering wheel to do a quick 180 degree twist before partially re-engaging on the steep narrow dirt road grade from Park Reservoir to Sheridan, WY. I slammed on the brakes. Ram issued a recall in 2019. Permanently welding the steering wheel alignment adjustment bar was their really cheap stupid fix. A Sheridan alignment shop used red Locktite in 2018 and it's never come loose since.
 
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Getting off of I-70 in De Beque, Colorado today at the posted 75 MPH speed limit in rural Colorado I was heading west bound. Had to make a split second decision since I was watching a car getting on I-70 heading eastbound in the wrong direction on my westbound exit. I quickly pulled off onto the shoulder and stopped. They stopped and turned around. People make mistakes.
 
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Looking at that it appears the motor home is completly off the road (On the wrong side of the CURVE sign) in an attempt to avoid the oncoming car and still the car hit them...
That actually happned to my Brother's first wife She went completely off the road and was on the wrong side of the ditch when the motorcyclist hit her head on (Fatal for the biker).
 
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