Tracy Morgan Injured in Crash with Speeding Truck in Construction Zone
We’ve written articles on the dangers of speeding, the dangers of driving through construction zones and the dangers associated with driving with trucks. Comedian, Tracy Morgan experienced all three in a recent five-car accident when a truck driver speeding in a construction zone crashed into his van.
The crash happened near Cranbury, N.J., on the New Jersey Turnpike in a construction zone when a 2011 Peterbilt driven for Walmart Transportation by Kevin Roper crashed into a 2012 Mercedes Sprinter van carrying McNair, Morgan, four other passengers and a driver. Tracy Morgan was seriously injured and comedian James McNair, better known as Jimmy Mack, a passenger in the van, was killed.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says:
“The right and center lanes of the New Jersey Turnpike were closed in the vicinity of this construction zone. About 0.9 mile south of the crash location, an advance warning sign notified northbound traffic of the lane closure ahead. About 0.4 mile south of the crash location, speed limit signs were posted that reduced the speed from 55 mph to 45 mph.
“The Peterbilt truck-tractor was equipped with an electronically controlled Cummins ISX engine. The engine control module (ECM) could record vehicle speed, engine rpm, brake circuit status, throttle percentage, and other associated data in a sudden deceleration event. NTSB investigators imaged the ECM on June 11, 2014. A preliminary review of the data showed that the Peterbilt combination vehicle was traveling at 65 mph for the 60 seconds preceding the collision with the Mercedes-Benz limo van. NTSB investigators are correlating these data with the physical evidence.”
Roper, a 35-year-old Georgia man who was driving the Walmart tractor trailer that caused the wreck, has been charged with McNair’s death and four counts of assault by auto.
Comments in the forums are varied:
“Personally, I can’t wait for Google cars to take over.”
“Computers crash too. Just ask Lois Lerner and the IRS.”
“This is exactly the kind of accident that a computer-controlled car would be good at avoiding because it would follow a properly posted speed limit sign 100% of the time. Furthermore, pride and emotions would not get in the way of slowing down even more if the situation is a little confusing. Plus a computer would be much faster than any human in engaging the brakes in the event of an impact in the forward direction.”
“Because no computer has ever failed to perform perfectly, ever, and no computer ever will? – Come look at this bridge I’m selling.’”
Do you think computerized cars and trucks could be the answer to fewer accidents? My ten year old just asked me the other day, “What will happen if everything is done by for us by computers and we don’t have to do anything anymore? I don’t want that to happen. We’d just sit and watch everything being done for us and all the fun would be gone.”
Do you think computerized cars are the way to go? Stricter road laws? Harsher penalties? More education and testing? What are your thoughts? We’d love to hear.
