2 Miata trailer crash

[— Phatmiata —]

Truck hauling 2 Miatas crashes, hangs above steep drop-off on I-15



A couple en route to a Mazda Miata conference in Grand Junction, Colorado, had their trip interrupted Tuesday night when they lost control of a trailer they were hauling and ended up partially hanging over a bridge on Interstate 15 near Leeds.



Just before 8 p.m., a 55-year-old woman was driving northbound on I-15 in a white Ford F-350. The Ford was pulling a trailer loaded with two Mazda Miatas, Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Joe Pastor said, and the trailer started whipping from side to side.

The woman and her passenger, a man in his mid-50s, tried to regain control of the trailer by steering and using trailer brakes, but the truck and trailer whipped across both lanes.

The trailer pushed the truck onto a concrete barrier on a bridge between mile markers 19 and 20. The back left tire of the truck went over the barrier, leaving the truck hanging partially over the barrier with a 50- to 60-foot drop beneath it.

The trailer, which was still attached to the truck, jackknifed during the incident and hit the rear right side of the truck. The Miata at the front of the trailer also hit the side of the truck.

No one was injured during the incident, and no other vehicles were involved.

Both the driver and passenger were wearing their seat belts.

There was some damage to guardrails and the concrete barrier as a result of the incident, Pastor said.



Though he was not certain what caused the trailer to whip, Pastor guessed it was probably a mechanical failure or poorly distributed weight on the trailer.

Traffic was reduced to one lane on northbound I-15, and both northbound lanes were closed at times for short periods, while responders tried to position tow trucks to tow the vehicles away.

Travelers on the roadway should not have seen long delays, Pastor said, as responders were trying to keep the total closures as brief as possible.

In addition to Utah Highway Patrol, responders from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Leeds Fire and Rescue were also on scene.

This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

source: http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/arc.../#.VbjZVflVikq

[TNRooster3]

Wow, close call.

[—tsingson—]

Definitely.

[wannafbody]

At least the people and Miatas are safe.

[— freedomgli —]

Bummer :-(. They definitely got lucky. Notice how they're turned around facing the wrong direction? Glad nobody got seriously hurt and the cars look unscathed.

Towing demands much respect and caution. I'm guessing speed (80mph speed limit along that section of I-15) and improper weight distribution (too much tongue weight despite trailer sway control hitch?) were the biggest contributing factors. Notice the first car overhanging the front of the trailer? Truck and trailer tires take a lot of abuse (summer heat, speed, weight, age, etc.) but on a trailer that long (32'?) with 3 axles I doubt 1 flat tire alone would cause this much trouble. The trailer also looks fairly new. I wonder which axles had working brakes? They were probably going too fast down that hill and their only option was to apply the brakes (vs. increasing vehicle speed) in an attempt to straighten it out but it wasn't enough given the speed and weight distribution. If they were going slower and/ or had less tongue weight they might have been just fine.

[— Dandy —]

Don't they know you can drive your Miata to the racetrack?

Glad that it appears that everyone is ok, and the Miatas at least, don't look to have serious damage.

[—atank—]

Drive it there its the best way...........

[wannafbody]

Keith Tanner stated he knows who the people are. They were probably headed to FM summer camp.

[Sharpie]

I am sure they were headed to summer camp. My parents are there now, so I'll see what they've learned.

[Sharpie]

Dad said, the truck is totaled, but they drove the miatas and made it to summer camp!!!!

[wannafbody]

Good excuse to get a new truck.