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[Shadynasty]

Everyone who crashed was driving too fast for conditions. Uncomfortable fact and GAF won't admit it but generously speaking 80% of American drivers should never have passed the test.

Freeway is basically people on the phone driving like shit.

While I agree most people drive too fast in poor conditions, and follow other vehicles too closely, but the icy roads I personally experienced came out of no where. The roads were wet all day and then the temp dropped fairly quickly and while the roads still looked wet, they were sheets of ice. I normally try to drive 35mph-45mph max when roads are just wet, but in this ice at 10mph I was sliding around in an AWD vehicle with good winter tires. I'm just glad my family and I made it home safe and Wehrenberg is rescheduling our Rogue One viewing to a date of our choosing.

 

[SURGEdude]

Video is link is dead.

 

[MIMIC]

"Check this out."

*truck flips over and explodes*

JESUS @_@

 

[Baron Aloha]

Video is link is dead.

fixed now

 

[Bustanen]

Are icy road conditions a rare occurance in Baltimore area? Is road salt even a thing in the US? And fuck anyone blaming the poor guy, he's in shock and nothing he could've done anyway.

 

[Indigo]

Are icy road conditions a rare occurance in Baltimore area? Is road salt even a thing in the US? And fuck anyone blaming the poor guy, he's in shock and nothing he could've done anyway.

The area roads were pre-treated with brine, but freezing rain fell longer than was anticipated, and this happened on an overpass which, like bridges, typically freeze more readily than roadway.

 

[akileese]

Are icy road conditions a rare occurance in Baltimore area? Is road salt even a thing in the US? And fuck anyone blaming the poor guy, he's in shock and nothing he could've done anyway.

It is a thing and yes because it's a highway exit (looked raised) which means it was more prone to freezing much like a bridge. I live in Texas but used to live in CT and the amount of people who stubbornly leave the house is absurd in both places. People in CT seem to know how to deal with snow and sleet better (mostly because we saw more of it. On Texas I would routinely see pile ups on the highway from my apartment window.

The Dallas Fort Worth area has something like 45 plows for the entire fucking metroplex. The state of connecticut is roughly the same size as the Metroplex and the county I grew up in had about four times that many plows. Those roads are dangerous when they're plowed but still slushy. What makes Texas dangerous is when it snows and sticks, it will warm in the afternoon causing a melt. The melt then freezes overnight which makes the morning literally hell. That's why the entire state shuts down over an inch of snow (Though it doesn't stop assholes from trying to go out anyways).

 

[spelen]

That's not a Baltimore accent, or any form of AAVE I'm familiar with. I'm guessing the guy filming is of Caribbean descent.

it's obviously a Nigerian accent

 

[Mammoth Jones]

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/12/17/at-least-40-cars-one-tanker-involved-in-i-95-crash/

2 dead, 11 hurt, 40 vehicles involved.



First off, it's an elevated highway with a gap in the middle, so he can't exactly get over there without jumping across a 4-8 foot gap over a two or three story drop.

Second, you want him to walk, on ice and in the dark, into the middle of the highway with cars and trucks sliding everywhere, towards the tanker truck explosion?

Dude probably could quit filming and try 911 again, but it'd be suicidal to even attempt helping given the conditions. If he even made it across the gap, he'd get picked off by the first sliding car and killed.

Yea, I'm not faulting the driver for staying put. I wouldn't try approaching something like that. No idea what that big rig was hauling. Obviously it was flammable.

 

[Spiral Insanity]

What would the legal procedures even be in an accident like this, and by that I mean who if anyone could be held liable; the insurance companies, you mean?

If it is true that that stretch of highway is badly lit, someone should be held accountable. It looks pitch black.

 

[K.Jack]

Damn if it's true, that the guy in the tanker purposely drove off the road to save other people's lives. What a fucking hero.

Imagine if he'd igniting the pile up. It'd have been a massacre.

 

[Baron Aloha]

If it is true that that stretch of highway is badly lit, someone should be held accountable. It looks pitch black.

It is badly lit. Like I said, I drive it damn near every day. The only light is from the surrounding city.

 

[slit]

If it is true that that stretch of highway is badly lit, someone should be held accountable. It looks pitch black.

It was black ice which means it's transparent. The lighting would have nothing to do with it. It's practically invisible anyway.

 

[J_Viper]

MAYBE COUPLE MORE CONES?

 

[dr3upmushroom]

Are icy road conditions a rare occurance in Baltimore area? Is road salt even a thing in the US? And fuck anyone blaming the poor guy, he's in shock and nothing he could've done anyway.

Seriously, public shaming is ridiculous on the internet.

 

[Dark_3nergy]

Are icy road conditions a rare occurance in Baltimore area? Is road salt even a thing in the US? And fuck anyone blaming the poor guy, he's in shock and nothing he could've done anyway.

It is a normal. A post on Facebook put out by WBAL-11, had a comment by a young lady which stated the road in that area was not salted.

 

[KSweeley]

Baltimore Sun states 67 vehicles were involved: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/weather/bs-md-icy-conditions-20161217-story.html#nt=oft12aH-1la1

"Icy conditions caused a deadly, 67-vehicle pileup and a fiery explosion along Interstate 95 in Baltimore on Saturday as the first significant winter storm of the season wreaked havoc across the region."

 

[Mammoth Jones]

How expensive are ice sensors for vehicles?

 

[DudeWithNoName]

There is a bridge near me into St. Paul that has anti ice spray delployment heads built into the bridge surface. On snow and ice days they keep the surface melted and safe from slick spots. It doesn't really have any bearing here but I thought I'd mention it anyway.

 

[FalsettoVibe]

Wow....horrible.

 

[chronos86]

Are icy road conditions a rare occurance in Baltimore area? Is road salt even a thing in the US? And fuck anyone blaming the poor guy, he's in shock and nothing he could've done anyway.

Is there any place in the world where it snows and they don't use road salt?

 

[Gamer @ Heart]

Is there any place in the world where it snows and they don't use road salt?

Yes. There are huge portions of the country where snowfall is either rare or mild, that are completely unprepared for any significant snowfall or freeze. Ploughs and salt trucks are something you have to budget and plan for.

 

[jay]

Like how the guy filming can bitch all he likes but offers absolutely no help for the situation. Scum

What a bizarre reaction.

 

[MechaX]

Are icy road conditions a rare occurance in Baltimore area? Is road salt even a thing in the US? And fuck anyone blaming the poor guy, he's in shock and nothing he could've done anyway.

I would imagine in most US cities, road salt is definitely a thing but in terms of when and how it's used, the best answer would be "it depends." A lot of time, you will get situations where major city roads are cleared, but smaller city/municipality roads are still fucked. The opposite can happen too if a smaller city has more ground to cover. Some cities that never actually get such conditions don't have a lot of resources to prepare for it, hence being blindsided when it happens (Texas, I am looking at you).

For instance, I live in St. Louis, and while our Department of Transportation is usually on this, they completely underestimated the freezing rain on Friday evening and the entire city was completely fucked until about 4:00am (which was essentially a grace period, since everything went back to below-freezing later in the day).

 

[KHarvey16]

How expensive are ice sensors for vehicles?

The problem is once you sense the ice it's already too late.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

The problem is once you sense the ice it's already too late.

It's still infinitely preferable to know when you start driving over ice and at least if the traffic conditions permit coast to get speed down or decide against speeding up where a driver might normally do so.

 

[SL128]

Real American hero:

American traitor and loser:

He called 911 to describe conditions and report multiple vehicles, some of them trucks, colliding on the highway. That's when Amasiatu started recording the scene on his cellphone.

"Cars and trucks were coming in at 50 and 60 miles an hour," he said. "They were sliding and slamming, and I stayed on the line with 911 and had the video on for about five minutes."

"I was traumatized. I wish I could have helped. [The driver] could not stop. . . . People could not see what was ahead of them."

 

[DaRealMVP]

Wow I was not expecting so many people ragging on the guy recording the video.

Holy shit what is wrong with you people, the guy shooting the video is not the important part here

 

[KHarvey16]

It's still infinitely preferable to know when you start driving over ice and at least if the traffic conditions permit coast to get speed down or decide against speeding up where a driver might normally do so.

I think pretty much all new cars have some kind of traction or stability control. This would really be the only thing that would sense ice. But it's just sensing that you have no traction, and once that happens there really isn't much you can do to save yourself. You're just gonna go wherever physics takes you.

 

[Dmented]

Wow I was not expecting so many people ragging on the guy recording the video.

Holy shit what is wrong with you people, the guy shooting the video is not the important part here

I agree. Even though I believe you should call the police first before anything, video of these sorts of things are not a bad thing. If anything, it COULD help. People who deal with the safety aspect of transportation, be it the government with the roadways or the manufacturers of cars/big trucks like the one that exploded, can use this type of video evidence as help to identify and deal with something like this so it can possibly be avoided in the future.

 

[BHK3]

I thought truckers had a radio system or something, how are so many truckers just colliding into each other without slowing down at all?

 

[Dmented]

I thought truckers had a radio system or something, how are so many truckers just colliding into each other without slowing down at all?

I understand the cars/trucks having problems prior to the explosion because it was hard to see, but after the explosion you would think the fire would have made them very very cautious. Most actually were until that one rammed into the back of the other truck. And yeah, idk how the CB radios work but you'd think there would be a way to tell everyone to slow down way before they got towards that area.

 

[Chris R]

Those comcast trucks can't keep getting away with it!!!

 

[Conkerkid11]

Those comcast trucks can't keep getting away with it!!!

 

[Norris1020]

Common sense? Freezing temperatures + Precipitation = ???? When I lived in PA nearly every time there was any sort of snow/ice event there would be a pile up on I-80, and there just was earlier this week. I guess I have some flawed logic, because these things keeping happening time and time again.

 

[vwnut13]

If it is true that that stretch of highway is badly lit, someone should be held accountable. It looks pitch black.

Highways almost always have no lighting.

 

[Northernlights]

YO
OMG YO
YOOOOOOOO
YO
OMG YOO

Rip to the victims though

 

[Hero]

Absolutely terrifying video that sent a chill down my spine.

RIP to the victims.

 

[Machina]

That trailer going over and exploding was pure Hollywood. The guy filming did well to keep it together all things considered, but I would've been on my way down to ground level in a heartbeat to try and help the driver.

This had the potential to be a much bigger disaster. The truck landed on fucking train tracks. Horrible tragedy.

 

[Randy Monk]

That trailer going over and exploding was pure Hollywood. The guy filming did well to keep it together all things considered, but I would've been on my way down to ground level in a heartbeat to try and help the driver.

This had the potential to be a much bigger disaster. The truck landed on fucking train tracks. Horrible tragedy.

No way that's possible in this situation unless you are an Avenger

 

[Generate]

I took an emergency call about a tanker driver killed in an overturn fiery accident before. Its the most horrible thing.

 

[Zen_Arcade]

The area roads were pre-treated with brine, but freezing rain fell longer than was anticipated, and this happened on an overpass which, like bridges, typically freeze more readily than roadway.

Yeah, Baltimore is actually pretty good about dealing with stuff like this. At least on major roads. When you start getting in neighborhoods obviously they're a little less attentive.

 

[the_batman]

that is scary as hell. too bad the dumbass city didn't salt the roads.

 

[reelbigtink]

Video made me nauseous. RIP to the victims.

 

[Bregor]

AI actually could have handled this better. One of the goals that designers are hoping to eventually achieve is to link Autonomous cars together so that vehicles can be warned about driving conditions on the road ahead.

In this situation, the oncoming traffic would have been warned about the crash at the minimum, and possibly even about the icy stretch (preventing the initial accident).

 

[Always-honest]

Nice edit. Did you finally read or watch far enough to realize he had already called 911?

Yes . My first reaction was while watching the video at the beginning. My bad.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

I agree. Even though I believe you should call the police first before anything, video of these sorts of things are not a bad thing. If anything, it COULD help. People who deal with the safety aspect of transportation, be it the government with the roadways or the manufacturers of cars/big trucks like the one that exploded, can use this type of video evidence as help to identify and deal with something like this so it can possibly be avoided in the future.

Again, he did call 911 before recording.

 

[Cday]

Was coming back from the movies last night when all this was happening. Driving 20 minutes through country roads and the road was solid black ice, but that's not so unusual. It was also a downpour and would change between sleet one minute and pounding rain the next. So on top of the ice there was a heavy layer of water and the rain was going the direction I was coming from so it was blasting the windshield the whole way. Could barely see at all. Then you have people who are really late in turning off their brights every couple minutes... Like it's not perilous enough.

 

[zelas]

It is a normal. A post on Facebook put out by WBAL-11, had a comment by a young lady which stated the road in that area was not salted.

Personally I didnt see any salted roads on my commute (upper marlboro to laurel via 495/95, then columbia to germantown via back roads) but lots of places were treated with brine at least 24 hours ahead of time.

MD always has issues treating roads in a timely fashion so maybe this time around to get on top of things early they used the brine instead because salt dry roads that early would just leave us with salt on the side of the road. I'm assuming they could have salted problem areas that evening though... But there was just so much ice i dont know how it would have made a difference.

that is scary as hell. too bad the dumbass city didn't salt the roads.

This was the state's responsibility actually.

 

[MikeDown]

Are most of those drivers morons? Several drive straight into the smoke and fire, then when a few stop someone else crashes into them? WTF?! He wasn't even going fast so that one could argue he didn't have time to react especially when there was a giant fucking fire signalling that something's gone horribly wrong.

Most truckers are.

While I agree most people drive too fast in poor conditions, and follow other vehicles too closely, but the icy roads I personally experienced came out of no where. The roads were wet all day and then the temp dropped fairly quickly and while the roads still looked wet, they were sheets of ice. I normally try to drive 35mph-45mph max when roads are just wet, but in this ice at 10mph I was sliding around in an AWD vehicle with good winter tires. I'm just glad my family and I made it home safe and Wehrenberg is rescheduling our Rogue One viewing to a date of our choosing.

Conditions change and responsible drivers anticipate said changes. I understand ice can be hard to spot and come out of nowhere, I've had my share of experiences with that, but given the forecast none of those people should have been going at that speed.