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A truck driver hauling lumber was killed after his truck apparently lost it's brakes on Mount Rose Highway near Incline Village Nevada on June 18, 2010. The driver used the gravel escape ramp designed precisely for this kind of emergency. The escape ramp however did not stop the truck, in fact the truck careened through the escape ramp and crashed into a home located beyond the far end of the escape ramp and burst into flames. Fire department personnel were unable to reach the driver and he died in the fire. Fortunately the one person in the home escaped uninjured.
This is not the first time this particular escape ramp has failed to stop a runaway truck, in fact there have been 3 prior incidents in the past 9 years where trucks using this escape ramp have been launched off the far end. Scott Magruder, spokesman for the Nevada Department of Transportation was quoted in an article by the Nevada Appeal - “... We're confident this ramp will do its job to stop a truck”.
On Monday, Magruder said NDOT officials will evaluate the ramp to determine if it needs safety improvements; he said the department is waiting for a complete incident report before making any decisions because it should describe the weight and load of the vehicle, as well as what angle it hit the ramp.
When asked what possible improvements NDOT may consider, Magruder said the department will most likely lean toward the most cost-effective strategy, although he said nothing has been ruled out.
What is wrong with this?
Runaway ramps are suppose to stop a fast moving truck!
Let me repeat that:
RUNAWAY RAMPS ARE SUPPOSE TO STOP A FAST MOVING TRUCK!
If you think about it, most runaway trucks are fast movers, this is why runaway ramps are placed on long downgrades, to PREVENT a major accident in case of brake failure, mechanical malfunction or driver error. This accident should never have happened! Yes obviously something went wrong either with the driver or the truck, but the runaway ramp should have stopped the truck and not allowed it to pass through. Mr. Magruder says that NDOT is confident that the runaway ramp will do it's job? Obviously IT HAS NOT! Four trucks crashing through the end of the ramp is clear evidence of that. The statement by Magruder that "NDOT officials will evaluate the ramp to determine if it needs safety improvements" This sounds like lip service with little or no action intended. NDOT will use the most "COST-EFFECTIVE STRATEGY" sounds to me like safety isn't their highest concern.
Semi-trucks aren't the only large vehicles on the road anymore. Diesel Pusher Motor Homes which are built on large bus chassis are very heavy also and have the same type air-brakes that heavy trucks use. Will it take one of these large vehicles using this same escape ramp, possibly killing an entire family while on vacation to finally get the necessary safety improvements that are so desperately needed. Cynical as this sounds, unfortunately it takes a major loss of life before those in government take action.
To Scott Magruder and the NDOT officials: Take action NOW before anyone else loses their life. Safety should be your first concern, not cost-effectiveness. Start now not later. No matter what the results are from the accident investigation, the run-away ramp has failed to do what it was designed to do and it needs fixed NOW. That is YOUR duty and YOUR responsibility.
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