20 dead in upstate NY in limo accident

[Anonymous]

The whole thing is horrifying. These limo "boats" are ungainly at best and that was a dangerous intersection. Seat belts? Unlikely the limo had them. What a tragedy for so many people.

[Anonymous]

It was 4 sisters and their husbands. Two of them had kids. I believe one of the husbands had a brother who was also in the limo. Just too tragic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The whole thing is horrifying. These limo "boats" are ungainly at best and that was a dangerous intersection. Seat belts? Unlikely the limo had them. What a tragedy for so many people.

It wasn’t a dangerous intersection.

The speed limit is something like 30 mph and the limo blew past a stop sign and hit a parked suv.

[Anonymous]

I bet it’s going to come out that the limo either had brake failure or the driver had a medical emergency and passed out with their foot on the gas.

This reminds me of the horrific accident just over a year ago in Loudoun where that food truck ran a stop sign speeding and slammed into the Volvo with a mom, grandma, and 4 kids inside. The mom died in that wreck and it came out that the food truck hadn’t been inspected, had bad brakes, and no insurance.

[Anonymous]

I read that they had rented a party bus but it broke down. And the limo was sent to get them. So they probably were crammed in there just trying to get to the party.

So tragic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole thing is horrifying. These limo "boats" are ungainly at best and that was a dangerous intersection. Seat belts? Unlikely the limo had them. What a tragedy for so many people.

It wasn’t a dangerous intersection.

The speed limit is something like 30 mph and the limo blew past a stop sign and hit a parked suv.

There are many of those idiotic hills with stop signs at the bottom. I think road engineers need to drive those roads in heavy vehicles before they design and approve them. Every time we encounter one we curse. Dig and smooth out the transition. Signs don't magically create brakes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The whole thing is horrifying. These limo "boats" are ungainly at best and that was a dangerous intersection. Seat belts? Unlikely the limo had them. What a tragedy for so many people.

I thought there was a picture of the inside, and it had seatbelts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole thing is horrifying. These limo "boats" are ungainly at best and that was a dangerous intersection. Seat belts? Unlikely the limo had them. What a tragedy for so many people.

I thought there was a picture of the inside, and it had seatbelts.

If you’re referring to the pic posted on the first page of this thread..I don’t think that was of this particular limo.

[Anonymous]

I googled 2001 excursion limo (the model in this case) and most don’t appear to have seatbelts available

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole thing is horrifying. These limo "boats" are ungainly at best and that was a dangerous intersection. Seat belts? Unlikely the limo had them. What a tragedy for so many people.

It wasn’t a dangerous intersection.

The speed limit is something like 30 mph and the limo blew past a stop sign and hit a parked suv.

You are contradicting all the news articles and the locals who are all saying it was a notorious intersection and that the state had tried to make it safer a few years ago but hadn't succeeded. Apparently it is all a steep downhill and there is no warning that there is a T-junction with a stop sign coming, so people who are not intimately familiar with the area are not expecting it. Because nobody anticipates there being a stop sign at the bottom of a steep hill with nowhere to go but a ditch, since that isn't a well-considered road design. Trucks were banned from that section of the road because too many were losing control. And there are some suggestions that the limo's brakes failed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I googled 2001 excursion limo (the model in this case) and most don’t appear to have seatbelts available

If it really was a 17-year-old limo I wouldn't be surprised if it was mechanical failure.

Anyone have pictures of the actual limo wrecked?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So the brakes were out. And? What happened to downshifting or throwing the shifter into park to lock up the drivetrain? Yes, it will destroy the transmission. It will also stop the vehicle, too. Don't they teach thus stuff in drivers ed anymore?

How does it do any good to be told something once when you're 15 or 16 and then never actually do it? How could someone possibly think to do something they were told about once 10-20-30 or more years ago? Come on, think about it.

Well - try it some time, it will imprint in your brain and then you might remember it.

I have a little truck that was still sliding a bit in the snow one day even on 4x4. Everyone else was virtually stranded.
I ended up turning down a side street and easily going down a hill without sliding having the car in 1st & 2nd gears. Since the engine is doing the braking there’s no sliding.
Anyway - it’s useful to try it out . My car still runs fine as I was only driving 20 mph.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I googled 2001 excursion limo (the model in this case) and most don’t appear to have seatbelts available

If it really was a 17-year-old limo I wouldn't be surprised if it was mechanical failure.

Anyone have pictures of the actual limo wrecked?

It’s completely inexcusable to pack 20 people into a car, knowing that you haven’t appropriately maintained it. Brakes done just ‘fail’ - the failure comes from the owner of the vehicle not completing necessary maintenance. When was the last time the brakes failed on your car?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole thing is horrifying. These limo "boats" are ungainly at best and that was a dangerous intersection. Seat belts? Unlikely the limo had them. What a tragedy for so many people.

It wasn’t a dangerous intersection.

The speed limit is something like 30 mph and the limo blew past a stop sign and hit a parked suv.

You are contradicting all the news articles and the locals who are all saying it was a notorious intersection and that the state had tried to make it safer a few years ago but hadn't succeeded. Apparently it is all a steep downhill and there is no warning that there is a T-junction with a stop sign coming, so people who are not intimately familiar with the area are not expecting it. Because nobody anticipates there being a stop sign at the bottom of a steep hill with nowhere to go but a ditch, since that isn't a well-considered road design. Trucks were banned from that section of the road because too many were losing control. And there are some suggestions that the limo's brakes failed.

Regardless, there's no reason the limo should have been going 60mph down a hill or curve. This wasn't a highway, but a local road where you have to expect stop signs to go with the lower speed limits. Blaming it on "notorious intersection" is absurd - drivers have to do their part and pay attention. Somehow, most other people don't have that problem.

[Anonymous]

To plow through this at 60mph, it had to have been an emergency (brake failure), or the limo driver was totally not paying attention.