Secure your loads (part 27)

Casper · 01-10-2005, 02:59 PM

Well, yesterday, my wife and I had to drive up past Echuca to go and get some things we had bought.
Started nice and early, 9am, in a great mood and looking forward to a nice days driving in each others company and a brief stop in Echuca to see the sights on the way home.
Off we headed, down the Princes Freeway (moderate traffic) and onto the Ring Rd heading for the Hume. Great day, reasonable traffic, all good.
Driving along, there was too much traffic (especially trucks) to use cruise control on the Ring so we just got into the fast lane and sat there, overtaking as needed.
Not far from the big bridge just before the Calder turnoff we were in the fast lane, doing about 100kph or so, large truck behind us at a reasonable distance, nothing in front in our lane. Slow lane had a car beside us and a large semi in front that had a crane mounted on the flatbed.. didn’t think anything about it.
Just then a panel on the cranes engine (about 2 meters long, 1 meter wide made of tin sheet on a boxsteel frame flapped out into the airstream (I didn’t see this, Mrs Casper did). Before she could even say anything it just ripped off the crane and shot straight up (I saw it go up) and started coming into our lane straight for us. Literally… it was coming straight from me and judging by its height and our speed… it was going to be a direct hit on the bonnet/roof on my side… not good.
I was leaning forward to watch it I knew hitting the brakes was not going to be an option.. and there was a big truck behind me that simply would not stop. I decided to floor it and, in about a second, had gone under it and lost sight of it… and broken the speed limit by over 20kph.. screw you Bracks, I’m not losing my life over your anal speed limits on this one.
Anyhow, looked out the back as it landed between me and the truck (yes, too bloody close). He had seen it and had no where to go and couldn’t take any evasive action because of the cars around him so he just locked it all up, tried to swerve over to the other lane a bit and pray. He hit it square on and drove straight over it (if it was a car it would have been a huge wreck but the truck just plowed over it). He was now almost half into the slow lane as it shot out behind him and the car following him (who probably didn’t even know what happened) just drove straight over one edge of it.

By this time the blue truck was coming to a stop, we shot forward to the crane truck and signaled him that something was wrong. He started to pull over and we just headed on our way… he could sort it out with the truck and car driver who he had caused damage too.

Talk about an interesting way to start a long days driving!

**Stav** · 01-10-2005, 03:05 PM

OMG!! You you are so lucky mate!!
This always hits a raw nevre with me personally.Thank heavens you are both ok.Go to church tommorow and light a candle.

stiddy · 01-10-2005, 03:21 PM

WOW.. speechless.. did you have an extra pair of pants in the car, i would of needed em lol..
very very lucky, thank god everyone is ok..

Black XR6 · 01-10-2005, 03:35 PM

lol. nobody stops at accidents anymore. Even those involved.

Good to hear everything ended ok for you casper.

**GasoLane** · 01-10-2005, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by useless

OMG!! You you are so lucky mate!!
This always hits a raw nevre with me personally.Thank heavens you are both ok.Go to church tommorow and light a candle.

Stuff the candle, go buy a book of lottery tickets

**Stav** · 01-10-2005, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waggajag

Stuff the candle, go buy a book of lottery tickets

Stuff it do both :Reverend:

Casper · 01-10-2005, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black XR6

lol. nobody stops at accidents anymore. Even those involved.

Good to hear everything ended ok for you casper.

Those effected stopped... I dodged the bullet.

Black XR6 · 01-10-2005, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Casper

Those effected stopped... I dodged the bullet.

Mrs Casper witnessed the sheet metal come off the truck. Surely couldnt have hurt to stop and give details.

Really, how hard is it.

Casper · 01-10-2005, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black XR6

Mrs Casper witnessed the sheet metal come off the truck. Surely couldnt have hurt to stop and give details.

Really, how hard is it.

The truck behind also witnessed it.. and the fact that the crane operators name was actually on the pice of steel (I got a good look at it) and that that same piece of steel was at that point on the road would make it pretty clear to those involved where it came from.

Dezza · 01-10-2005, 04:42 PM

Talk about lucky. It reminds me of when a truck in front of mum lost a split rim. This long solid bit of steel was heading straight for the windscreen but then it dropped and put a nice big hole (5 cm diameter) in the front right tyre of mum's EBII. Lucky it didn't go through the windscreen

smciner1 · 01-10-2005, 05:09 PM

Reminds me of a similar incidend a few years ago. I was driving out to my Fathers Work following a 4WD with a Tandem Trailer with a heap of crap piled up on the back of it. As I changed lanes to overtake it, a sheet of corrogated Iron fell off the back and would have gone through the windscreen of my GT if I had not gone to overtake it. I came up beside the guy and got him to pul over. He had no clue.

merlin · 01-10-2005, 05:11 PM

I hope you secured the scene with a European Safety Triangle (TM)

:

**GasoLane** · 01-10-2005, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merlin

I hope you secured the scene with a European Safety Triangle (TM)

:

Only One EST(TM)?

Black XR6 · 01-10-2005, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merlin

I hope you secured the scene with a European Safety Triangle (TM)

:

Lmao.

Casper · 01-10-2005, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merlin

I hope you secured the scene with a European Safety Triangle (TM)

:

hahahaha, was waiting for it. Yes, as I drove off I tossed about 50 of them out the window!

chief · 01-10-2005, 07:52 PM

Good to hear that you are alright Casper and you kept a level head to toss out those safety triangles. :newangel:

JAJH · 01-10-2005, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Casper

Well, yesterday, my wife and I had to drive up past Echuca to go and get some things we had bought.

Well, Shane, if you learn where you are going in Melbourne, you wouldn't have been taking that route. Ya could have gone out the back of Hoppers and come out on the Calder freeway just before Sunbury and missed all the action. You'll know next time, won't you? (Good to hear you are all right, though)

Casper · 01-10-2005, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAJH

Well, Shane, if you learn where you are going in Melbourne, you wouldn't have been taking that route. Ya could have gone out the back of Hoppers and come out on the Calder freeway just before Sunbury and missed all the action. You'll know next time, won't you? (Good to hear you are all right, though)

hahaha, I certainly could of, except I was heading for the Hume to go up via Heathcote. Going via Bendigo adds about 40 minutes to the trip to Echuca :voldar02: