Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Loose batts cause M1 mayhem





Loose batts cause M1 mayhem See News Article Below!









Loose batts cause M1 mayhem

A DRIVER who caused mayhem on the M1 at Oxenford this afternoon when his load of insulation batts came loose is being sought by police.

Police said the driver failed to stop after his unsecured load caused an accident in which a truck missed a scooter rider by millimetres and a ute caught fire after it was run over by another truck.

The drama started about 1pm when the southbound ute lost its

load of batts under the overpass at the exit 57.

''A poor scooter rider rode straight into the mess and came off,'' said sen

ior constable Gabriel Jose.

''He's fortunate he didn't get run over and killed,'' he said.

''Vehicles were trying to avoid running him over and one van ran into the back of a utility which pushed it underneath a semi trailer which then caught fire.''

One person was taken to hospital by ambulance with a broken arm while the scooter rider refused transport.

Sen-Con Jose said it was 'a total fluke' no one was killed or seriously injured.

''It could have been a lot worse than what it was,'' he said.

Police are viewing Main Roads cameras to track down the

driver whose unsecured load caused the accident.

''When we find him we will be charging him,'' said Sen-Con Jose.


Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Runaway trailer unhinges chaos




A RUNAWAY trailer sparked a series of incidents at the bottom of the Toowoomba Range last night.

The trailer was being towed by a Toyota Land Cruiser when it became unhinged at the bottom of the Range in the eastward-bound lanes about 7.25pm.

It came to a stop in the outside lane before three vehicles collided with it.

A Hyundai Excel Sprint, the first vehicle to collide with the trailer, and a Nissan Maxima sedan sustained the worst of the damage.

None of the occupants of the vehicles were injured. The eastward-bound lanes were closed for about 25 minutes as emergency crews cleared the scene.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Trucker Looses his life trying to avoid a trailer which had become detached





Serious crash on Lonsdale Rd in southern suburbs



DOUG ROBERTSON

August 20, 2009 04:20pm


POLICE have appealed for witnesses to a crash which killed a man and injured two others at Lonsdale yesterday.

The Queesland man, 59, died when the truck he was driving rolled on Lonsdale Rd as he tried to avoid a trailer which had become detached from a Toyota utility.

The truck rolled near Hallett Cove about 3.50pm, causing two other vehicles to collide.

A seriously injured man and another, both with non-life threatening injuries, were taken to the Flinders Medical Centre.

A witness to the crash said the truck rolled when it swerved to miss a tandem trailer, thought to be towed by a Toyota Dyna utility on the south-bound lane of Lonsdale Rd.

"I just looked in the (rear vision) mirror and the truck rolled over," the witness said.

"I ran down and he was dead. I believe the trailer jack-knifed and the big truck swerved to miss it."

A large load of gravel spilled on the road and several drivers who witnessed the crashpulled up nearby.

The death takes the state's road toll to 80, compared with 54 at the same time last year.


Comments:

I drive a truck and I often see these large tandem trailers being towed behind a car or a ute, I shudder when I see them. Faulty indicators, brake lights not working, un-roadworthy condition. At 59 the driver of the semi would not have been too far off retirement, what a waste.

Posted by: Chris of Ferntree Gully, Vic 10:06pm today

matt the government cant sit in every car and tell people to put seatbelts on, dont drink drive, dont speed, dont use your mobile phone etc etc, its up to the people behind the wheel more than anything! it is sad to lose someone else, but sadly its going to keep happening. also, you would like to think that anyone who did witness the crash would have stopped and that police wouldnt have to ask for witnesses

Posted by: luke of adelaide 7:23pm today

I'm very sorry for the loss of this truck drivers family and friends. Yet another senseless death on our road. It truly highlights just how little our government is doing to save lives: "The death takes the state's road toll to 80, compared with 54 at the same time last year." Despite record high takings by "safety" cameras and millions in revenue related to street offences, not to mention the massive improvements in vehicle safety; the death toll continues to rise. The government uses street offences and "safety" cameras for revenue and nothing more. The argument that it "saves lives" is utter rubbish, with no evidence to support it whatsoever. Sure, there's the argument of "don't speed and you won't get caught", "don't drink drive and you won't get caught", but what happens once you have been caught and that money has been taken? Nothing. No driver education, no training, no meaningful road upgrades. Instead the state government spends millions on ripping up the road to replace it with a tram line and "fixing" (breaking) an otherwise functional road. The whole new south road system has done nothing to improve that area, has taken far too long and cost far too much. Real change in driver education is needed or we will continue to have pointless fatalities on the roads in ever increasing numbers.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Tragedy strikes Olympian again Trailer Sway






Click Play To View Video This Video is just an example of what might have happened.




Meaghen Nay competing in Rome.
Photo: Getty Images

Michael Cowley in Rome
July 27, 2009

THE Australian swimmer Meagen Nay is no stranger to tragedy. Her father, the Olympian Robert Nay, died in a car accident when she was four years old.

And on Saturday, just as she was about to begin racing at the world championships in Rome, she learnt that her brother, Amos, 28, had been killed in a car accident on the Gold Coast.

Remarkably, the 20-year-old decided to swim in her first event at the championships.

Nay was told of her brother's death by her coach, Michael Bohl, but decided to swim in the 4 x 100 metres freestyle relay, for the sake of her teammates. News had been relayed earlier in the day by Nay's stepfather, Peter Milburn, that Amos had died in a car accident on Saturday morning.

Nay's father Robbie, who as a 15-year-old, swam at the 1972 Munich Olympics, was killed, aged 37, in a car accident just north of the Gold Coast, at Labrador, in November 1992.

Stephanie Rice, Nay's training partner in Bohl's St Peters Western squad, spoke after her heat swim in the 200m individual medley, saying her friend had been devastated. "She's pretty good. Obviously she's extremely heartbroken, but I think it's so great she's got Bohly and the rest of our squad and the Australian team supporting her, and her family is here with her, which is probably the best thing, and I just hope they can get through this as best as they can."

Queensland police reported Amos Nay's vehicle, a Toyota Hilux utility towing a trailer, had been travelling north along the Pacific Motorway at Chinderah, near Dodds Lane, when it left the road and hit a sign post about 10.20am.

It rolled and the driver had died on impact. Police said it was unclear what caused him to lose control of the vehicle.

Nay's mother Karen, Mr Milburn, and Meagen's sisters Jess and Fiona, are all in Rome to watch her compete.

The Australian head coach, Alan Thompson, broke the news of the accident to the team on Saturday night.

"Our thoughts and condolences are with Meagen during this difficult time," he said in a statement issued by Swimming Australia.

"We ask that everyone respects her privacy and that of her family at this time."

Nay made the breakthrough into international swimming last year when she qualified for the Beijing Olympics in the 200m backstroke event, eventually finishing seventh in the final.

She has a busy program in Rome. As well as competing in the heats of the 4 x 100m freestyle relay, she is scheduled to swim the 200m freestyle tomorrow, the 200m backstroke on Friday, and the 4 x 200m freestyle relay on Thursday.

When she won the 200m freestyle at the Australian titles in March, Nay spoke to the Herald about the significance of winning the event her father had contested in Germany.

"Yeah, I think it was really special winning that event," she said at the time. "I kind of inherited good genes in the 200m freestyle I think. Apart from making the team and things like that, it meant a real lot to me as a person. The significance of it wasn't lost on me, and it was quite a very special moment."

According to Bohl, her preparation for the titles has been perfect, and big things had been expected.

As to whether she competes beyond the opening day is yet to be determined, and she will "play it day by day".

"It is just unbelievable. Everyone is absolutely devastated," the team spokesman, Ian Hanson, said. "She is going to swim this morning in the heats of the relay today … she is swimming for the team.

"The message from Meagen to Bohly, to the team, was she does not want a fuss. She just wants to try and get through today. At this stage who knows what is going to happen after today."

Monday, April 28, 2008

Trailer breaks loose New!!!! Australia


Trailer breaks loose

A runaway trailer caused chaos on Waimea Rd yesterday, after it became detached from a ute and hurtled downhill towards Stoke. Nelson Fire Service senior station officer Chris Perkins said the trailer broke free about 7.30pm, while the ute was travelling downhill. The trailer overtook the car and crashed into a fence. The action of the trailer detaching caused the ute to flip over and end up on its roof. Mr Perkins said the four people travelling in the ute were uninjured, and it was lucky that the trailer had not collided with a passing car. Firefighters from Nelson and Stoke stayed at the scene of the accident for more than an hour to keep traffic flowing.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Trailer ploughs into home



Smashed: A runaway trailer mowed down a woman's fence and smashed into her living room wall in Manoora, Cairns.Alarmed: Neighbour Rachel O’Donnell inspects the damage.



Trailer of destruction: The trailer crashed through a fence and wall after coming loose.

Trailer ploughs into home



Trailer of destruction: The trailer crashed through a fence and wall after coming loose.

Trailer ploughs into home

Damon Guppy

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

© The Cairns Post

AN elderly woman narrowly missed being hit by flying bricks when a runaway trailer smashed into her Manoora house.

The Swallow St resident was in the hallway near her living room yesterday morning when the trailer broke free from a landscaper’s ute, ran over a metal fence and crashed into the front wall about 10am.

Paramedics treated her for shock at the scene and she was being looked after by her carer yesterday afternoon.

"The elderly occupant is very, very shaken up as you can imagine," Cairns fire station officer Roy Kennedy said.

"It was a lucky escape from flying masonry and so on.

"You can imagine the sudden impact and the fright that would create.

"It was a bit of a shock and not something you’d expect."

He said the trailer was carrying landscaping machinery, fuel and herbicides but there was no threat of fire.

The front wall and window were caved in and metal poles were put up to stop the wall from collapsing any further.

"The front of the house has got structural damage and the integrity of the house has been compromised," Mr Kennedy said.

"It’ll probably take a couple of days to restore."

He said the woman was "amazed" at the damage caused to her house.

Rachel O’Donnell was next door when the trailer hit the house.

"I just heard a big bang and looked out my window," she said.

"The trailer was embedded in the wall.

"It’s taken out a little bit of my fence."

Trailer owner Argent’s Mowing Service did not respond to The Cairns Post before press time.

Police interviewed the driver and no changes have been laid.

The trailer would be inspected to determine why it came loose.

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Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Municipal trailer runs amuck



Municipal trailer runs amuck
2008-03-13

Lise Beyers

A WOMAN was injured on Friday morning, when the trailer of a municipal truck came loose and smashed head-on into her vehicle.

The incident took place in Market Street, next to the Paarl Rugby Club, near the municipal depot.

The municipal truck and trailer, which was loaded with gardening equipment, was travelling in the direction of Denneburg, when the trailer broke loose.

The trailer rammed into the vehicle of Patricia Gay, who was travelling in the direction of Paarl CBD.

Gay was trapped inside her vehicle, while rescue workers battled to free her. She sustained injuries to her legs.

Gay is part of an American contingent at Monte Christo Ministries who spend a lot of time in the Paarl Valley helping move the poor and underprivileged from a life of hopelessness and survival, to stability, success, and significance.

According to eye witnesses on the scene, it was clear that the trailer had not been attached to the truck adequately and that the safety chain between the trailer and the truck was broken.

It is unclear whether it snapped or had not been attached.

A complaint of reckless driving is being investigated against the driver of the truck.

To add to the woes of the Municipality this week, a worker from the parks department was run over at the Parys Circle, while she was sweeping the street.

Patricia Jela of Phola Park, Mbekweni, was busy with a cleaning team, and while she was sweeping the side of the circle, she was hit by a truck and left with a leg injury.