<span style="font-family:Times">The Desert Sun November 17, 2006 November 17, 2006</FONT>An elderly couple was rushed to Desert Regional Medical Center this morning after their vehicle dove 50 feet down a ravine off Highway 74, California Highway Patrol officials said. Officials will not release the identity of the man and woman involved, but said the two were driving a Toyota Prius when the wreck occurred at 7 a.m. at mile marker 90, west of Homestead Road near Vista Point. Riverside County firefighters utilized a rope and pulley system to rescue the couple who were believed to be in their 70's, spokesman Patrick Chandler said. The two suffered moderate injuries. Officials closed both lanes at 7:30 a.m. to retrieve the car out of the ravine. Lanes were reopened by 8:55 a.m. Though the cause of the wreck is uncertain, an official on scene reported that another vehicle allegedly "pushed" the Toyota causing the driver to lose control, Chandler said.
A few nights ago our local news must have been having a slow night. They did a piece on the crash of an SUV, how those inside survived, albeight with injuries but those in the other car not so lucky. They showed the other car crushed. Couldn't tell what it was and they didn't say. But they interviewed the wife from the hospital. She gushed about how safe the SUV was and if it wasn't for that she, her husband and her baby would have died. I have no idea which car company buys commerical time for our local news, but that's the first thing that went through my mind.
In situations like that, the survivors often drive themselves crazy "If I had (had not) done this....they would be alive". So she is at peace knowing the other car was crushed in the collision?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Delta Flyer @ Nov 19 2006, 12:48 AM) [snapback]351576[/snapback]</div> I agree, so many people automatically assume that the type of vehicle is the reason they are alive or dead. Same with seatbelts. There are soooooooo many variables in a crash. While statistics and seeing the crash can come up with some reasonable conclusions, to say I only survived because I was driving a SUV is wrong thinking. I have seen people die in crashes which should not even have caused a bruise and people survive in cars where you scratch your head saying "no way". All that being said, I prefer the statistically safer car and always wear a seatbelt.
Honestly, if she thinks that the SUV saved her, then she's just a product of the big campaign the big three had back in the 90's. Obviously, i don't know the details of the accident, but of those i've seen on the road sides those with SUV's always look worse for the other car. You have two items of equal mass hitting each other, they'll come out the same (think two billiard balls colliding). On the other hand, you have one with a lot more mass, and things are a lot different (think of a bowling ball rolling over a golf ball) Unless it was a very severe accident, i doubt the SUV did anything more than a car would have to protect them, aside from pulverizing the opposition.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Nov 20 2006, 07:28 AM) [snapback]352067[/snapback]</div> I have my own take on all of this. If you're driving a much larger vehicle that demolishes (kills, mames, etc.) the inhabitants of the other vehicle, and no one in your vehicle is hurt, you can feel good. But I would expect legal action against you and/or your vehicle's manufacturers. The form of that acttion could be lawsuit, charges of vehicular homicide, etc. At the very least, increase in insurance costs would make it prohibitive to keep driving your tank on highways shared with smaller vehicles. Dave M.
Speaking of crashes, take a look at the horrific pics of this crash... It's truly amazing that all 6 people in the car survived!
A while ago, someone was suggesting the Honda Insight was a very dangerous vehicle to be in, but as of yet, nobody has linked an article with an Insight fatality. I'm sure similar inquiries have been made about the Prius. I got someone upset by telling them to stop dead in their tracks with their fearmongering and go to www.nhtsa.org and find an Insight fatality in their archives (it will be there). I'll conceed a Volvo sedan is statistically the safest vehicle to crash in, but I'd bet every hybrid built has an above average record because they are driven better.
I agree... PUSHED? Those poor elderly people must have been terrified! This is out my way. I'm going to see if I can find out anymore infomation about it.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TonyPSchaefer @ Nov 20 2006, 09:58 AM) [snapback]352147[/snapback]</div> No, I don't think we are losing our focus . . . “pushed†(in quotations in the article) can be used as a euphemism for tail-gating. I think if the other vehicle physically pushed the Prius off the road, the tone of the article would have been much different . . . more opportunities for the reporter to sensationalize beyond just typing “pushed†with quotations.
Riverside County firefighters utilized a rope and pulley system to rescue the couple who were believed to be in their 70's, spokesman Patrick Chandler said. The two suffered moderate injuries. [/quote] They are in their 70's ..... they went down 50 feet ..... They got Moderate injuries! Talk about a safe Car!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dancekat59 @ Nov 20 2006, 07:47 AM) [snapback]352083[/snapback]</div> Two of the kids got out and ran when the police pulled up.
