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Ya'll Be Careful Out There


Guest Dick Whittington

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Guest Dick Whittington

Don't know all the details, but a hauler with an open two car trailer wrecked yesterday near Beech Mountain, NC. Threw both cars off the trailer with one of them hitting another car killing the driver of that vehicle. According to the news it took one half mile past the wreck for the truck to get stopped. Don't know the make, but according to the news it was a '97 dually.

Very steep, crooked road, sounds like he lost his brakes. Elevation goes from over 5,500' to about 3,900' in just a very few miles.

Check your brakes and make sure your car is tied down securely

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Fish Hawk Trails Founder Glen Cross Killed in Car Crash - Bloomingdale-Riverview, FL Patch

This is sad, and the message to me is twofold.

One, make sure your equipment for hauling cars is up to snuff, don't endanger other people. Drive as if everyone's life depends on it.

Two, in today's society, one better have damn good insurance. Not to downplay loss of life, but this has lawsuit written all over it...

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Guest Dick Whittington
Fish Hawk Trails Founder Glen Cross Killed in Car Crash - Bloomingdale-Riverview, FL Patch

This is sad, and the message to me is twofold.

One, make sure your equipment for hauling cars is up to snuff, don't endanger other people. Drive as if everyone's life depends on it.

Two, in today's society, one better have damn good insurance. Not to downplay loss of life, but this has lawsuit written all over it...

Thanks for the link. I do not know all the facts, and probably never will, but the area he was in requires a good set of brakes and patience to come down that mountain in the lowest gear you have. Steep grades and tight switchbacks do not make for easy towing.

You can get into trouble real quick on roads like that. I had rather take a few minutes longer and get there in one piece. Not that I am an old slo' poke but I learned to drive in the Northwestern part of NC and was driving trucks in NC, SW VA, and on into WV by the time I was 18. You learned to respect the mountains and also respect the weight you had behind you. Driving overweight trucks from Elkins WV to NC taught you real quick, if it did not kill you.

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I hang out more in teh Dodge Cummings diesel truck forum. Most everyone agrees you need to load equalizing hitches, or be set up for huge tongue weight to be safe. If you light in front your going to have trouble. if your short bed it worse,

Daully are better, but as this acident proves, no under estimate your truck capability. Two big classic are heavy load.

Edited by packards42 (see edit history)
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No comment on this specific accident because I was not there & did not witness it

But, I have witnessed firsthand several accidents over the years

SLOW DOWN would be my biggest advice to people

Increased speed results in decreased stooping distance and reaction time

Personally, I tow at 55 m.p.h

Everything seems to happen in front of me and behind me

Jim

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Guest Dick Whittington

Agree that 10% of the weight of the trailer and load be on the tongue of the trailer. Keeps the swaying down.

But in the case of this accident I do not think that was a factor. The article stated it took the truck one half mile after the accident to get stopped.

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Guest Dick Whittington
The cars came off the trailer. Tongue weight, speed, etc was not the issue. Apparently tie downs were.

Yeah, seems like a lawsuit would be an inevitability.

Banner Elk Summer Resident Dies Tuesday When Two Cars Slide Off Trailer on Beech Mountain Parkway | High Country Press

I think, if the newspaper reports were correct, that speed was probably a factor, as they stated it took the truck one half mile past the accident scene to get stopped. Speed was probably due to the apparent brake failure.

I am somewhat familiar with that road, having traveled it quite a few times. If the location was reported correctly it occurred very close to a very sharp curve near the bottom of the mountain

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